By Candlelight
by signefalls
Summary: A rider wakes up in the dark. He does not know where he is. He only knows he is underground and chained, as a young woman offers help by candlelight.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Don't own TYR, just love.**

* * *

Chapter 1

The first thing he becomes aware of is the pain. Dull, throbbing pain wraps around the back of his head to his temples. The pain pounds inside his head and the blood coursing through his veins keeps rhythm. Thud, thud, thud. The second thing he realizes is that he is not alone. The thudding sounds are not from within his own skull but footfall, very close to him. He opens his eyes, expecting a least a glimmer of night sky to help him distinguish where he is and who is with him, coming closer, but there is nothing. He swallows the panic now and his instincts are on high alert. His mind might not comprehend what is happening but his sense of self preservation takes over. He remains still, quiet.

There is a strike of a match, then light from a small candle. It is almost blinding for him until his eyes adjust. At first he can only see a hand, holding the candle, then as the figure steps closer, he sees an arm, light colored fabric, perhaps this is a...? He shifts his body upright, he realizes he had been laying on a dirt floor and tries to raise his right hand to shield his eyes until they can better adjust. The movement of his hand makes a clanking sound and it startles him. He feels the weight of metal against his wrist for the first time and he pulls harder. There is a chain. His hand bears a metal shackle. It fits snugly and bites into his skin. The panic is too overwhelming to tamp down any longer. He stands to his feet, or he tries to. The chain is attached to the ground, he guesses it might be three feet in length. He can move some, but he can not stretch to his full height. He pulls as hard as he can against it, but realizes quickly he will only damage his hand by doing so. The figure moves closer still and extends the hand not holding the candle.

"Shhh. Calm down. You will hurt yourself if you struggle."

He rests his hands against his knees as he tries to breathe. In and out, slowly, to remain calm. He looks up at... her. Yes, it is a woman who now joins him in this dark and frightful place. Her voice told him so, but it is hard to believe without seeing her as well. She does not belong in this place. Really, she's barely more than a girl, maybe a year or two younger than himself. He can see her eyes, but not their color. They are opened wide. Her pale skin, narrow neck, slight shoulders and long, dark hair. She is wearing a night shift and nothing else, her feet are bare. His eyes travel back to her face. To her lips. They are pressed together in obvious worry. He shakes his head slightly. He must be dreaming. A certain nightmare, except for her presence. Finally he finds his voice,

"Where am I," he asks. His voice is hoarse from lack of use.

"You are in the root cellar, under the barn," she answers softly.

"Why?" his next obvious question.

"Because you are a prisoner," she says, softer yet.

He looks at her dumbly, then feels his anger rising, bubbling up from the bottom of his stomach to the back of his throat.

"I'll ask you again... why?" his words are harsher now, he can barely contain his mounting anger, frustration... fear.

She takes a step back and the light fades around him. He is instantly sorry.

"You need to keep your voice down. I doubt they will hear you, but I don't want to take that chance. They don't know I'm here. I would be in as much trouble as you if they found out I knew they were keeping you."

There is something in her voice that he trusts, despite everything about his situation screaming at him to trust no one. He knows the fear in her voice is genuine. He takes a deep breath and looks above. More dirt. It only unsettles him more so he turns back to face the woman, to the light she holds in her hands.

"I'm sorry I scared you. I'll keep my voice down. Just stay, please? I don't understand anything right now. Last thing I remember is stopping for a bite to eat in Granger after a ride and playing cards," he says.

He tries to sound in control, strong... but the desperation leaks out in the 'please' and he sees her expression soften at the word.

"Sit down. It can't be comfortable to stand like that," she whispers.

In one movement she kneels before him and sets the candle down between them. She leans forward, pulls her hair to one side and over her shoulder. He was wrong before, her hair is not dark. It is light brown, almost blonde and her eyes, they aren't dark either. She tilts her face up and he gets a good look at them for the first time. They're a light color, maybe blue or green. He can't tell. He wants to ask. He wants to ask a million questions that this woman may know the answer to, but he has no idea where to start so he stays silent, and watches as she makes herself comfortable. She folds her hands in her lap. Her movements are gentle, purposeful and as he watches her run one thumb over the other he feels a tiny piece of calm creep into the back of his mind. She looks at him and tilts her head. Her brow furrows. He wonders if maybe she has too many questions for him as well. She lets out a sigh,

"What is the last thing you remember?"

He decides to be patient and thinks,

"I was talking to some men playing cards... they told me I looked familiar and got real curious," his frown deepens in concentration, "They followed me when I went to get my horse. I needed to go to the boarding house for the night, then... my brother's name. One of them said my brother's name. I turned to look at the guy. Then... blackness."

He absently pats the back of his head and winces when he runs his fingers over the lump he finds there. His hair feels stiff, and that confuses him until he makes the connection. Blood. He has dried blood in his hair. It is starting to come together now and looks up and meets the woman's sad eyes.

"One of them hit you on the back of head with the butt of their gun and they brought you here, on account of you being Jed's brother."

"Why? How do you know that?" he asks.

"Because. The leader of this gang is my uncle Victor. He and Jed go back a ways. Doing things to support the Southern Cause. They think Jed double crossed em over some gold or money a while back. That he hid some. They're counting on getting out of you where it is."

"Did... did your uncle tell you to come out here and talk to me?"

She winces and he wishes he could take the words back now.

"He doesn't think of me like that. Since my folks died, and my uncle took over the farm, I'm a built in cook and housekeeper... that's all. Anyways. He doesn't know I know this place exists."

She looks at him again, rubs her hand nervously against the fabric covering her knees.

"We've been talking a while, but I haven't introduced myself. I'm Mary Anne Haney, and you're..."

"Kid, people call me The Kid."

"Kid," she says his name with surprise, "nice to meet you. Jed joked and said your name was something else, but it sounded so silly that..."

"It _is. _Too silly that is. I don't go by it," he pauses and his whole demeanor changes as he asks, "did you know my brother?"

She smiles,

"Not all that well. He was fun, charming. He was real dedicated. Seems hard to believe he'd skim off the top and steal from Victor and The Cause... I was real sorry to hear he passed."

Kid only nods. His brother's death is too recent, and the wound too raw for many words.

She seems to sense this. She scoots forward and reaches out her hand to where his rests on the floor. Her fingertips brush over the top of his hand before landing, light as a butterfly to rest on top of his. Kid feels the warmth radiating from her touch and is afraid to move, to startle her away. The heat moves from his hand and travels up his arm, making him suddenly aware of how cool and damp the space is around him. He moves his fingers to lace through hers and looks up hesitantly to gauge her response. She is smiling. Her lips are barely curled upwards, but there is a softness, a smile all the same. He studies her face now. It could be considered plain if one was foolish enough to walk by her quickly, but now as he leans forward, into the small light he sees the stubborn line of her jaw, her apple cheeks and straight nose. Her breath shudders past her full open lips as she allows him to stare. She blinks and Kid turns his focus there, to her wide set eyes.

"They're green," he says, smiling.

She only frowns, so he explains.

"Your eyes. I was wondering what color they are. It's too dark to see much of anything..." his smile slips as his focus shifts from her candle lit face to the oppressive darkness around them, "how long have I been down here... what are they going to do with me."

There is an edge of hardness to his voice now, an unconscious reaction to steel himself for the dangerous unknown. She take his hand into hers now and squeezes it.

"They dragged you down here shortly after sundown. Our farm isn't too far outside Granger. They didn't see me watching from behind the chicken coop. I caught a glimpse of your face as they carried you," she looks up into his eyes as she mentions his face, "you looked young, innocent... _good..._I don't really know how else to describe it,_"_she throws up her free hand marking her inability to find the words, "something inside me told me I had to watch out for you. So I waited until everyone else drunk themselves to sleep and crawled down here," she smiles briefly, "this was my favorite hiding spot as a child. It only held my mother's preserves before," she notices he's not smiling and continues softly, "you've been here since 8 pm and it's 2 am right now, I'd wager. I thought you might be hungry. I saved you some scraps from dinner, they're supposed to go to the pigs. I hope you're not offended. I brought some water out too."

Kid is surprised and nods. She drops her hand and walks away from the small flame. It takes her half a second to disappear into darkness. Kid stretches, and realizes he actually is hungry and thirsty. He needs to relieve himself as well, but he'll wait to take care of that business. It occurs to him that maybe he is imagining her. That he is in a dream, and nothing around him is real. He wants_ her_ to be real though, maybe because the cold, hard earth beneath him feels real, the thick smell of must and dirt is real too. It clings inside his nose until he can remember no other smell. For one brief second he can no longer hear the sound of her feet. His heart races and he almost says her name out loud, but bites his lip, feeling foolish. She appears a heartbeat later, holding bread, a half eaten apple in one hand, and a canteen in another.

"Here," she says as she places them in his hands and wordlessly returns to her previous spot on the floor.

Kid chews slowly. The bread is stale, the water helps him gulp it down. Soon he is finished and hands her back the canteen.

"So in the morning, your uncle... you think your uncle is going to come down here, try and get me to tell him things?" he hesitates, but asks anyways.

She shakes her head,

"I was making dinner in the kitchen, they weren't paying me any mind, but I heard them saying about letting you stew, that some time without food and water, not knowing where you is, should make you real talkative," she pauses and purses her lips together, then raises her chin an in and regards him almost defiantly, "I spose this doesn't matter much, but I gotta tell you anyways. I don't like my uncle. Some days, like today, I feel as close to hate for him as I think I would for any body. When my parents were alive things were good. We didn't have much, but we had enough. My Ma is from the south but she didn't miss it. Slavery never set well with her. Then her brother Vincent came for a 'visit'. He stayed and fought with my parents. My Pa was set on kicking him out, but... they died. My Pa in a farming accident and my Ma this past winter, she got real sick in her lungs, but I think her heart was more broken than anything..." her eyes are filled with tears and Kid reflexively reaches his hand out to her, but the weight and sound of the chain still the movement. She hears the sound and straightens her back, blinking away the tears.

"I'm sorry," Kid murmurs. She waves her hand dismissively.

"You got problems bigger than mine, so let me get around to talking about that," she gives him a half smile, before she speaks again.

"Shortly after Ma passed, Victor's friends started showing up, and it was clear he wasn't interested in farming. Just 'The Cause', always The Cause. The only thing Victor's done nice for me is make sure all his men know I'm off limits. Don't figure that for a loving gesture though. If I get hurt... or with child, I can't cook or clean for him as well. He jokes that cattle, horses, Negros and women... they work harder if they're kept up. I don't... I don't know why I'm telling you all this cept maybe so you know I'm not like him. Maybe so you'll believe me when I tell you" she breathes out, "I want to help you escape."

Kid has a sudden urge to hug her, to take her in his arms and squeeze her tightly. Kiss her even. She spoke the words he realizes he's wanted to hear since he woke to the sound of her approach. Kissing her full lips may not be the kind of response she is looking for though, so instead he leans forward and waits until her eyes are gazing into his,

"Thank you."

She blushes and bites her lip,

"Maybe you won't thank me after you hear what I'm about to say. If I'm able to get you out of those chains and off the property, I'd like you to take me with you," she sees Kid open his mouth and she rushes ahead, "I can't stay here any more. I guess I knew Uncle Victor was a bad man, but I didn't know how bad til I saw him bring you down here. Final straw I guess," she shrugs and Kid moves closer to her.

"How do you know I'm any better than Victor? You took a real risk coming down here..." he trails off, not wanting to make her regret the decision or frighten her.

"Jed was one of the few men that came through here to make me smile, treat me like a lady. When I heard you were his brother, I knew I had to come down here... I've heard your real name, Kid... anyone with a name like that couldn't be too mean."

Kid chuckles,

"When I was little, my Ma would tell me to say my prayers. She told me I had angels watching out for me. I prayed real hard then, but watched one bad thing happen after another... till I stopped. It didn't seem like there was much of a point, no one seemed to hear. I looked real hard for those angels too, and never saw them. Till today," Kid stops as he sees the surprise register in her eyes. He reaches his hand out to her, brushes a stray strand of hair away from her face, "Mary Anne, even if you didn't ask, I'd want to bring you with me. This is no place for an angel."

"Really?" she asks, she catches his hand as it falls from where it rests, on her shoulder.

Kid enjoys the feel of her fingers woven with his, the way her thumb moves in a circular motion over the back of his hand. He doubts she's even aware she's doing it.

"Yes. Do you trust me?"

"I do... I'm surprised by how much."

"I trust you too. We're going to have to trust each other, to get out of here. I have to trust that when you walk out of this cellar, you'll come back for me, and you have to trust once we're out, that I'll take you away from here and keep you safe. I promise you I'll do that, Mary Anne."

She breathes out. Her relief is palpable.

"I promise I will be back here tomorrow night," she frowns and drops his hand. She pulls her knees up to her chest and hugs them, "I don't know where he has the key for that," she nods her head towards his chained wrist, "It will be hard to look for it. He doesn't let me near his desk, so that's the most likely spot..." her voice is now a whisper and Kid strains to hear her.

"Be careful... you said your uncle wants to keep me down here for a while. You might have some time," he tries to give her strength by keeping his voice steady, and firm, but his own fear is back, just at the thought of the darkness, the absence of her and her light. His breath comes out in a shudder and she notices.

"I'm scared. I don't know if I can do this and it will just kill me if anything... well... Pray, Kid, while you're down here. Maybe your angels really are listening... and I'll be back, hopefully with the key, but if I can't find it, I'll bring you food and water. I'll tell you what the day was like outside. I'll tell you what they talked about. You need to be stronger than my uncle expects you to be, if he comes down here to talk to you."

He nods that he has heard her, and swallows hard. He feels so helpless and out of control. He hasn't felt this way since he was a boy and he had promised himself then, that he would do whatever it took to protect himself; be stronger, smarter so he'd never have to feel this way again... but there is no controlling this situation. There is only hope, in the form of the small and frightened woman before him. Thankfulness overwhelms him for her very existence. Calling her an angel was not an effort to speak flattering words, she truly is. She glows in her white nightgown, her green eyes shimmer with unshed tears. She is so beautiful to him, he has to reach out to her.

He crouches and moves to her side, and maintains eye contact with her. She leans towards him. He puts both hands on her shoulders, enjoys the rush of warmth, even that slight touch brings him.

"I'm scared too, but I think we'll be alright. Thank you... again. For helping a stranger. You're very brave."

She smiles as she places one of her hands over his. It is the one with the shackle, her smile fades from her face as her fingers hit the metal.

"You're not a stranger anymore, and after what my uncle's done to you, what other choice is there? You need to get out of here... and so do I."

Kid is so touched by her care that he does something impulsive. He gathers her into his arms and hugs her. He pulls her flush against his chest and feels the softness of her curves against him. He wishes he wasn't wearing a jacket just for that moment, her warmth is infinitely better. She relaxes against him and wraps both of her arms around his waist. She returns the strength of the embrace, letting him know the closeness is not unwanted. She rests her head against his shoulder and sighs. Kid breaths her closeness in. She smells of soap and flowers and fresh air. He tries to memorize it against the dank air apart from her. She pulls away but allows her arms to stay loosely around his middle.

"I should go... I'm going to prop open the door with a small rock. I don't think they'll notice it. It will let in just enough light so you'll be able to see a bit. After the sun is down for a while, and they're sleeping, I'll come back, I promise."

He tightens his hold on her in reaction to the thought of being alone without her company in the dark. She bites her lip, her eyes plead for him to understand.

"I promise," she says again, slowly.

"Mary Anne..." he stops and makes himself let go of her, "I know you'll be back, you should go," he forces the words past his lips and she nods slowly.

She kneels and is ready to stand, but then, leans forward quickly. Her eyes flutter closed and before Kid knows what is happening, her lips are on his, feather light and warm, soft, so very, very soft. She moves away and stands with her candle before he has a chance to kiss her back properly, or maybe even beyond properly. She is shy now as she picks up her candle. Her hair shields part of her face.

"Goodnight, Kid."

Kid thinks he says the words back to her but is unsure, he watches her retreating form and wishes he could go after her, but he can't. The cold metal against his wrist is a constant reminder that everything else in this situation is a nightmare. He hears her blow the candle out just before the cellar door shuts softly. He is once again in near total darkness.

* * *

**A/N: I started this story the first day of NaNoWriMo. I wanted to push myself during the contest, to write out of my comfort zone, and tackle a writing style and situations I never have before. So this story is in the present tense. It is definitely has more doomy peril than I usually write, and there is smut. All of that has been really challenging, but the muse took the story and ran with it. I have written the entire thing in 13 days. It is done. I know how this ends and I'm excited about it. This was a wild ride that almost killed me but I'm happy with how it turned out. I will update frequently as it's completed. I really hope you enjoy it! Let me know what you think, please! :)**

**(Oh and if you are wondering, yes I turn my attention now to my other two stories for the rest of the month. You will get updates for them too) **

**:)**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Mary Anne sleeps lightly after leaving Kid in the blackness of the cellar. Her bed in the back of the storage room consists of a cot and some blankets. It seems more comfortable to her now than it ever has since her uncle took over her bedroom to make room for his friends. The storage room juts out behind the kitchen. It has a large window and it is cold and drafty half the year. She has longed for a warm bed again. A real room with a dresser and a mirror, instead of a few boxes of possessions shoved behind the potatoes. Her uncle locks her in the room at night to "protect" her. It is more for show, to make a point to his men, because the window is not mentioned or noticed and she can easily crawl in and out of it.

In the morning she listens for him. She is already clothed in a simple yellow dress. She knows it is her uncle's favorite. Her hair is tightly braided and wrapped up off her neck. She is deciding to be pleasant to her uncle, agreeable to anything, ready to work, anticipate what he might need. She hopes the more that she is quiet, obedient, the more careless he will become around her. It is her only chance to be given the opportunity to look for the key.

The key turns and the door swings open. He uncle stands there, rubbing his forehead. She waits for him to address her, and as she does, notices the stale smell of whiskey reeking off his rumpled clothes. His brown hair is shaggy, and she wonders how long it has been since the last time he shaved. His body fills the small doorway. He is tall and broad shouldered. His face carries some of the same characteristics of her mother, maybe a little of herself. He would be a handsome man if he cleaned himself up and smiled. Mary Anne stops herself before she snorts at the very idea. In order to be handsome he would have to be kind and caring. This would not happen anytime soon, she is sure. He growls a greeting at her, the words are barely intelligible.

"Good morning, Uncle. Are you well?" she says quietly.

"What do you think?" he frowns as he looks at her. Mary Anne stops herself from smiling. His eyes are a dull brown and bloodshot, nothing like her own.

"I think you need some coffee, and some flapjacks, is what I think. I'll start right now, if you'll...?" she asks as she stands up and steps forward to move past him.

"Sure, darlin..." he says as he pushes away from the doorframe, giving her only enough space to squeeze by him.

He holds himself upright against the frame with one hand. She glances quickly and sees the key to her room as well as several other keys, all on one chain. She passes and hears him put the keys in his pocket.

The day is a blur for Mary Anne. She makes coffee and breakfast. She does dishes and milks the cow. Her feet walk right over Kid's head as she does this and she hope he knows it's her, somehow. 'I have not forgotten', she thinks, gently tapping her feet, wishing he could hear her quiet thoughts. She closes her eyes and imagines him right below her and shivers. She walks past the door to the cellar and out of the corner of her eye, can see her stone is still there, holding the door open so the tiniest ray of light will shine through.

At dinner she offers more whiskey after their filling meal. Uncle Vincent and his men, Beau, Chuck and Riley drink a toast, to "the girl". She finishes the dishes quickly. They do not see her place bread and meat in a sack under the sink. They start to talk business and this is her usual cue to leave and so she does, with a basket of mending. She goes into the living room, where her father used to play harmonica and her mother would hum along. They would sit side by side on this very couch, arms around each other as she played with her dolls. She likes to relive the stories her father would tell her before bedtime and drown out the loud and obnoxious voices of her uncle and his men, but not tonight. Tonight her fingers fly to mend holes in shirts and her ears are attuned to every word that is spoken.

"Not sure if we should'a taken him. First, he's an Express Rider, ain't someone liable to come lookin for him? and second, Jed made him sound like too much of a straight shooter. This feller probably knows less bout Jed than we do," she recognizes Riley's voice, the youngest of the gang.

"Ain't all those Express boys orphans? We know Jed's dead, who else is gonna care? I wasn't bout to pass up the chance. Wasn't sure he was the brother at first, but when I said Jed's name, he perked right up... and he's got the same sort of eyes. Jed hid thousands of dollars from us. Money we were sposed to split fair and square. Had to take him if he knows something." This is Beau, the man who's rode with her uncle the longest. He's as mean as her uncle or meaner.

"and what if we made the bother of takin him and he don't know nothing?" Chuck asks this next. He's the most serious of the men.

"Well, spit, Chuck, we'll have to kill him. Can't have him blabbing about us, can we?" Beau answers sharply.

"Don't worry your ugly mug about the boy, Chuck. Our patience will be rewarded. When we pull him out of that hole, he won't have ate nothing, or drank nothing, for days. He'll be on death's door as it is, if he ain't mad to boot from all that darkness. He'll tell us anything we want to know. From the first time he bed a girl to the last time Jed talked to him bout the money and everything in between. Don't get much easier than that." Vincent says these words with his voice full of smugness, more confident than usual, bolstered by the whiskey. Mary Anne feels her stomach drop.

"Don't you think you should watch your words, Vin? That little girl ain't all that far way." Beau asks. Mary Anne's heart races as she puts her head down, all focus her mending, but her fingers shake, so she puts down her needle and thread and closes her eyes.

Vincent laughs, she hears his chair scratch against the floor. She knows he is leaning back in his chair and his boots are on the table.

"Mary Anne?" he laughs again, "not sure she's bright enough to understand what we're talking about half the time anyways. She's just happy to have a roof over her head and food to eat, after my sister passed. Where else could she go? She ain't worth for much more than what she does now, keep this house. I've trained her good, boys. We ain't got to worry bout her. She don't know what's going on and even if she did, she woudn't say nothing." his is voice gradually louder as he speaks, as if he wants her to know just how little he regards her.

Mary Anne's breath comes faster, as she bites her lip so she will not cry. This is what she has for family. She feels sick. No, the young man in the cellar is now more family to her than these men ever were, are, or will be. He is her one chance out of here. She closes her eyes and breathes deeply. She sits as still as stone. They move on to other topics, mostly about The Cause, planning on what they'll do with the money once they get it, meeting up with other bushwhackers, what they may rob or destroy next in the name of the South. Finally they shuffle off to bed. Some of them to _her _old bed. She picks up her basket of mending and walks into the kitchen. She is surprised to see her uncle slumped over in his chair, passed out. She puts the mending away and makes her way to move around him. He grabs her wrist and it startles her.

"You know how lucky you are, don't you, Niece?" he snears.

"Of course, Uncle Vincent, you're very kind to me." she stutters. Her lips can barely speak the lie.

"Good. Thinking anything else wouldn't be good for you. You hear?" he doesn't see her nod of agreement through his bleary eyes, so he says it sharper, "You hear?" he squeezes her wrist until it hurts.

"Yes, Uncle," she says, wincing.

He sees her pain and drops her wrist. He staggers to his feet and lurches toward her,

"Time to put the pretty birdy in her cage so she's nice and... safe."

He moves her towards her room, puts his hand on the small of her back to steer her in. He lets his hand rest on her backside and she spins around in surprise. He has never touched her like that before, but he is also usually not this drunk.

"Goodnight, Pretty Bird," he smirks, his appreciation for her form obvious as his half open eyes linger on her curves. Mary Anne stands stock still, her face expressionless. He shuts the door at last, and she hears the click of the lock. She sits down and exhales in relief. There is nothing else to do but wait.

She dozes for a while. Part of her mind resting, the other part listening for the sounds of people going to bed, snoring. Once things are at their quietest, she awakes. She wraps a shawl around her shoulders to protect her from the mild night air. She crawls out her own window, walks around to the next window and pushes it open far enough for her to crawl back in. She's in the living room now. She gathers the food, another canteen full of water and sets them outside the window. Then she moves as noiselessly as possible to her uncle's room. With each creaking step up the stairs she is more certain she will be discovered. The snoring of the men is louder than the sound of her feet.

Her uncle's door is open, he is spread out on his stomach, laying on what used to be her parent's bed. He is only wearing longjohn bottoms. She quickly looks away, searching instead for his pants and she finds them, thrown over the back of his chair. She scoots closer to them, inch by inch as her heart hammers so loudly she's surprised that sound alone does not wake him. Slowly she feels his pants and finds the pocket. The movement causes the keys to clink together. She freezes as he stirs in his sleep. He turns towards her and opens his eyes.

* * *

Kid finds lots of ways to spend the time in the complete darkness. He leans up against the wall slightly and focuses on his breath, in and out. He imagines himself in Teaspoon's sweat lodge. He tries to remember what sage smells like. Heat, sage, meditation. It gives him fitful bouts of sleep. He knows he sleeps because he dreams. He dreams of Jed, when they were children. Kid's legs were never as long, he races to catch up to his hero, his big brother. Jed meeting his new Express family, playing the part of a soldier for his next con, leading to his death. He wakes with a start, sweating as he hears the shot that killed his brother, sees the light slowly extinguish from his brother's eyes. He cries in the darkness. It was only a few months before. He tries so hard not to think about it usually.

Sleep no longer comes and so he gives up. At first he thinks his eyes are playing tricks on him, but after a while he is convinced. It is dawn outside. The sliver of light from the door propped slightly ajar tells him so. He focuses on this sliver, transfixed as it slowly grows brighter. It is as precious and bright to him as the light of heaven. He hears steps overhead some time later, the steps are soft and he knows them. Mary Anne is walking above him, maybe doing chores. He hears her step a little rhythm and he wonders is she meant it for him. He listens for a long time after, but she's gone.

The growl in his stomach tells him he is hungry, he is thirsty too and he needs to relieve himself. He crouches and moves as far away from where he sat with Mary Ann and takes takes care of business. Kid worries about Mary Anne in the house with her uncle and his men. They are capable of anything in his mind. She is a lamb, feeding wolves their dinner. It does not set well at all, especially the fact that, because of him, she will put herself in more danger.

He thinks instead of The Express. Of riding Katy over open plains as fast as any man can fly over the earth on a horse. He thinks about the odd wisdom of Teaspoon, the strength and compassion of Emma, the hot headed and yet fragile nature of Jimmy. Cody's gift for making most things funny, at least to himself. Buck's passionate nature and quiet reserve. Ike's trustworthy friendship. He thinks of Lou too, of knowing her secret. It made him feel special to be the only one that knew while that lasted. He spends hours comparing Lou in his mind to Mary Anne. He doesn't set out to do this, but their faces float before him and he studies them both. The is no denying there is some sort of spark between him and Lou, but it has not burst into any sort of flame. With Mary Anne though, as she risks so much for him, even by bringing him bread and water... the flame she brings warms him now more than anything else in his life. He is utterly dependent on her. Ordinarily this would make him feel uncomfortable in the worst way, but with her, he accepts it. He accepts it like he does the sliver of light in the middle of the cellar floor. He needs her. He needs her help, but beyond that, he needs her smile, her touch.

Kid imagines riding out of the barn with her as soon as she finds the key. Maybe things won't even get that far. Kid does some quick math. He has been gone from Granger for a while now. He hopes soon Teaspoon and the others will get word he is missing. As hard as it is for him to trust people, he trusts his Express family. They will come looking for him. Buck will track them and find the Haney farm. It is just a matter of time. He tells himself that over and over. It is just a matter of time.

The sliver of light is fading and now gone. Kid stretches to keep limber, to be ready, before again laying down to rest. She will come.

He hears shuffling. The slight creak of the door, and then footsteps. Kid sits up, tense. His heart speeds up and then skips a beat before returning to rhythm. It sounds like Mary Anne.

* * *

**A/N: I forgot to say in the first chapter that this is set shortly after the episode "False Colors", but other than that, I'm not paying much attention to the time frame or existing story line. Thank you for all the encouraging words on the first chapter, hope you like this one too. The chapter after this one is when things get, ummmm... interesting ;)**

**Let me know what you think!**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Kid knows he is not alone now. He says her name, "Mary Anne," but it comes out the quietest whisper, wishing he had waited until he could actually see her. There is another step, then two before he hears the strike of the match.

"Kid," she whispers back.

She closes the few steps between them quickly, almost extinguishing the flame. She sets down the candle, and a small sack before kneeling in front of him. She allows a second to let her eyes travel over him, from the top of his brown hair, over the paleness of his face, down to his well worn boots. His bright blue eyes are offset by the shadows underneath them from lack of sleep. He smiles at her, warmly. He is so handsome to her, more even than he was the day before. He reaches out a hand to her and the fear she felt only moments ago, leaving the house rushes back to her. Her whole body trembles as she launches herself into his arms. He grunts at the impact but quickly returns her embrace. He shifts his weight and leans against one of the support beams in the cellar. He pulls her close to him until she is nearly sitting in his lap. Her trembling does not subside.

"Mary Anne, are you alright? What's wrong, has something happened?" he asks, his own alarm rising.

She raises her head up and tries to smile,

"I think... yes, everything will be alright. I have the keys," she pulls them out of the sack beside them, "I had a scare when I took them from my uncle. He heard the sound of them, and his eyes opened. He stared straight at me, he even said my name... well, not my name. He said, 'Pretty Bird'... I thought I was caught for sure, but he closed them again and went back to snoring. If he had caught me, I don't know what he would've done, to me... or to you."

Kid holds her tightly and rests her head against his chest. It is tearing him up inside that her desire to help him is putting her in this kind of danger.

"Don't know if I'd be able to live with myself, if anything happened to you," he says as she runs and unsteady hand over her hair.

She pulls back and gives him what she thinks is a confident smile,

"Well, I have his keys, hopefully this means we're just minutes away from riding out of here, and we'll never have to deal with him again."

She grabs the keys tightly in her palm and turns. Kid breathes a sigh of relief as he holds out his wrist to her. She runs her fingers over the metal until she finds the lock. She looks at the keys. There are six of them on the ring, all shapes and sizes. With trembling hands she tries the first one. It goes in, but she can't make the key turn. The second one is too big, the third too small. The fourth she tries turning the lock so hard she almost breaks the thin key. Her hands are shaking too much. She hands the key ring with the final two keys to Kid. The last two are no better.

"Try again," she pleads and he nods as he quickly goes over each and every key, but none of them work.

She moans and tears quickly form and fall down her cheeks.

"I thought for sure..." her voices cracks.

"What you did was so brave," he assures even as his mind reels, trying to figure out the next step.

"I haven't seen any other keys. I have no idea where else he would be keeping it... I was so sure we'd be riding out of here and I wouldn't have to sneak back upstairs to put them back," she shudders at the thought and Kid's heart drops just imagining her attempting it.

"Maybe... maybe there's another way. Look at how this chain is attached in the ground. Maybe there's a way to pull it out," he says hopefully, more for her sake than his own. He spent hours studying the chain, pulling on it, during the day.

"Yes, of course!" she agrees readily.

She grabs the candle and brings it close, for better light. The chain is attached to the bottom of the support beam. Kid stands and pulls and she stands and pulls with him. Their muscles ache under the strain. Kid gasps as the metal cuts into his flesh, he feels a trickle of blood running down his fingers. Mary Anne notices and drops her hands.

"Stop! Oh, stop Kid... your poor hand," she takes her hand in his and reaches for the hem of her gown to mop up the blood, but Kid stills the motion.

"How would you explain that blood, if he sees it?" he asks. He uses the edge of his jacket instead. "That chain isn't going to budge. We'd pull the support beam out first and probably bury ourselves for the trouble," he tries to keep the calm control in his voice, but it is slipping with every word. He shuts his mouth and purses his lips together.

"What about tools? Are there any sort of tools we might have on the farm to break the chain?" Mary Ann asks as they both slump to sitting on the floor again.

"Do you have an anvil and hammer?" he asks but even before she can answer the question, he shakes his head, "even if you did have one, most of em weigh more than you do. There'd be no way for you to get it down here."

"We've never had one on the farm, anyways."

Kid bites back a curse. He leans his head against the post, extra hard.

"Can you ride? Even in the dark?" he gazes at her seriously.

"I can. I've been riding about as long as I've been walking."

"Maybe... maybe if you take Katy now and ride toward Sweetwater, you could get help. My Express station is there. I'm friends with Marshal Cain and Teaspoon the station master used to be a Texas Ranger. They'd see the horse and ride with you before even catching your name."

She mulls it over before shaking her head.

"It's too late, for tonight anyways. It will be daylight in a few hours. There's not enough time for me to ride to Sweetwater, get help and ride back. Not before my uncle wakes up. They'd look for me, and if they see your horse is gone? They'd kill you for sure. I couldn't risk it."

She says the last words while reaching her hand to his face. She trails her fingers against his cheek and he leans into her hand before raising his fingers, covering hers with his own. He takes her hand and brushes it past his lips.

"It's not fair of me to even ask. It'd be too dangerous. If you got hurt-"

Her hand is still tingling from the feel of his lips, his breath against her skin. She shivers, as she moves closer to him. She lets their joined hands fall to his lap.

"Maybe tomorrow night I could try, I could leave much earlier and..."

"Maybe," he agrees, but he doesn't want it. He wouldn't be able to protect her. He can't protect her at all.

She is shivering almost violently now and Kid hauls her into his lap. He wraps her shawl tighter around her shoulders and rubs her back.

"Are you ok, Mary Anne?" he says her name so tenderly it makes Mary Anne want to cry.

She nods and dabs at her eyes with the back of her hand. She will not say what she is afraid of right now. She grabs the sack with the food and the canteen in it and hands it to him. She does not move off his lap.

"How bout you eat and drink, so's you can keep your strength up while we set for a while, figure out what to do next."

He agrees and eats and drinks with one hand while he holds her in another. He is hungry, but the worry is so consuming, he barely can choke the food down. He finishes every last morsel and drinks the canteen dry. He lets his weight rest against the beam.

"I feel better," he smiles as he tilts her head up. He waits until her eyes meet his, "thank you."

"You're welcome," she says automatically. She can't hold her tears back now. They blind her vision and she dips her head away from his concern.

"What? What is it?" he asks desperately.

"I'm... I'm scared to go back inside and put those keys back in my uncle's pocket. I'm scared he'll wake up and really see me. It would be the end for us both. I am terrified I won't be able to get you out of here, Kid... If I just knew where the key was. If only one of those keys had been the one..."

"It will be alright. It has to."

She shakes her head. She is crying in earnest now. Kid blinks back tears of his own as he tries to comfort her. He has no solution, no plan, only care for this woman and nothing to offer. The feeling of hopelessness is almost his undoing. Without thinking about it, he lifts her chin up with his hand and kisses her. Mary Anne is stunned at first but responds to the desperate pressure of his lips. She kisses him back, just as desperately. Her shivers are now for a different reason. Kid feels warmer than he has in days. She is liquid heat in his arms, heating him to his core. His mouth is insistent now, she opens her lips for him and his tongue tastes them. She gasps in surprise and he takes full advantage of the opportunity.

There is no thought about tomorrow or even the next hour as Kid kisses her for all he's worth, hoping she will feel the same. Mary Anne has never been kissed outside the school yard aside from last night, but she learns quickly. Her blood races through her veins, urging her further, pushing her arms to wrap around him. Her hands will not hold still. She runs her hands through the soft waves of his hair, down his face, to his neck. He feels so good, so warm, but she knows his skin will be warmer and she is desperate to touch it. She moves her hands under his jacket then under his shirt. She gives his shirt tail a dug and eagerly slips her hands under it, to his skin. She smiles against his lips as she hears him groan. He moves his mouth past hers down her jawline, to the the hollow between her neck and shoulder. Her breath comes faster as he moves one hand from the small of her back. He slides his hand up her side slowly, until feels the hot flesh of her breast through her nightgown. She leans into his hand and groans and she moves her hands from under his shirt, to his buttons. Her hands shake, she can't make them move fast enough. Her hands finally find his skin. The muscles tighten as she grazes his chest, the light dusting of hair, she feels her way down to the hard planes of his stomach, almost to his belt before he growls against her ear and stops her hands.

"Mary Anne, I don't want... No that's not true, I _do_ want. I want to touch you. I want even more than that. To _know_ you, before... before it's proper. I've thought that and been trying not to think about that since you walked away from me last night. Please, if you don't want this, you need to tell me to stop..."

Her hands are moving again and he hisses through his teeth. His eyes close as he leans his head back against the pillar. She follows, kissing his neck. She wiggles in his lap restlessly, wanting more but not sure what to do next about the coiling tension in her lower abdomen. She takes his hand and places it firmly on her breast. She exhales hot against his ear.

"When I leave you tonight, we don't know what's going to happen. We may not even live through tomorrow. You say it's going to be alright but it might not be. I'm terrified Kid, except when you kiss me. When you touch me, I forget all about tomorrow. Make me forget my fear, Kid... love me."

Kid loses all rational thought as instinct and his body takes over. He lifts her up roughly to pull her nightgown up over her hips. His hands touch her bare skin for the first time and his blood heats to a boil. Her skin is so smooth, so hot and firm... her thighs, her breasts; his hands are everywhere. She pushes his shirt open and shrugs both shirt and jacket sleeve off one arm and does the same motion to the other arm. Both garments slide down the chain to the floor. He is bare from the waist up now. She revels in feeling the strength in his biceps, his back. He is strong everywhere, but his lips are so soft as he continues to explore her mouth with his own. Kid stops and with unsteady hands, moves her off his lap so he can spread his jacket and shirt out on the ground. Mary Ann notices and pulls her nightgown off while his head is turned. The chill in the air, the heady feeling of anticipation gives her goosebumps and hardens her nipples.

He turns and his mouth drops open. He has never seen anything so beautiful in his entire life as her naked form bathed in candlelight and shadow. She is shy, biting her lip. She casts her eyes down and is surprised when Kid pulls her abruptly towards him until she is flush against his body. The feel of her breasts pressed against his chest makes him moan aloud. They are both on their knees. Kid cups her bottom with both hands and holds her tightly against his heat. He can't take much more of this and tries to breathe as he kisses her again, slower now in an effort to pace himself. She gasps as she realizes what she is feeling through his clothes and with more assertiveness than she has known, she pulls back to look him in the eye. Her hands work over his belt and buckle, then the buttons of his pants. At last she is able to push them down past his hips. Her eyes widen as she takes in the sight of his erect length. Kid winces and opens his mouth to say something, anything that might assure her that he will do the best he can to make this enjoyable for her, but she shakes her head at him. She reaches out to touch him with fascination in her eyes.

"Oh God," he sways as she wraps her small hand around him lightly.

She startles and moves her hand away, unsure. He opens his eyes and finds her hand. He roughly places his hand over hers and moves it back to where it was, guiding her fingers over his member, back and forth.

"This feels good?" she asks, and he nods. His eyes are glazed over with passion. There is a sheen of sweat on his brow and as she places her other hand against his chest, she feels his heart beating even faster than her own.

He takes a shaky breath,

"You better lay down or this will be over before it starts," he grinds out, gently removing her hand.

He guides her to the floor until she is laying on his jacket and shirt.

"Are you cold?" he asks as he finishes removing his boots and pants, as fast as he is able.

"No. I'll feel warmer with you next to me though," she answers.

She is feeling more bold by the minute, surprised by how much she is wanting this life affirming experience, so much so that she laughs as he sits down next to her, leaning on one elbow.

"What is it?" he smiles as he traces a finger from her lips, down her chest to her stomach.

"I have never considered doing this with any man, and now... it is all I want. I feel like a wonton."

Kid gazes at her with such intensity that the smile fades from her lips. He leans forward, half covering her with his body.

"You aren't... A wonton I mean, not all. All I see is a beautiful, kind woman," he lightly runs his finger down the side of her face, then he takes a deep breath and continues,

"I have never done this either, Mary Anne. Not even come close. We're in this dark hole and a few hours from now... I don't know what will happen.. but how I feel about you now, the only thing I'd change is how I'd meet you, but not doing this," he says as he moves closer yet, rubbing his hand up and down her side until she shudders from the pleasure of it, "I only wish we were in a nice warm bed, and your head rested on a feather pillow, not on the hard ground."

His voice is so tender, it brings tears to her eyes. He kisses her forehead, cheek, and the tip of her nose and she sighs,

"We are on a featherbed, don't you feel it? With silk sheets. There is candlelight and soft music, wafting up from the street in front of our hotel..." she moves her hand down his shoulders to his waist then to his backside. She squeezes and he growls. His hands resume their exploration as he moves his leg to rest over hers.

"We just ate a fine meal at the fanciest restaurant in town, where I told you you were the most beautiful girl west of the Mississippi... you are, you know... and maybe we danced like we had many times before, and I held you tight to me, imagining what you'd look like without your pretty dress on and as we walked back to the hotel I'd say I was the luckiest man alive to be falling in love with you."

Kid grins as he kisses the surprised look off her face. His heart skips a beat at the words he has just told her, but they do not feel false in any way and so he accepts them. Like he accepts that what is about to happen is destined to happen.

"and I'd whisper in your ear, before you lead me up to our room, that I am the lucky one, and that I give you my heart... tonight, always..."

Mary Anne's heart soars as she sees Kid's reaction. His eyes burn, his jaw tightens as he moves his face to hers. So close, too close. He grinds himself against her hip, his hand traces over her breasts, then lower... lower still.

"Mary Anne," he growls her name and is unable to speak any further as her hand finds his hardness again. His need only grows until it is painful.

"What should I do to please you?" she whispers.

He only shakes his head as he kisses her passionately with growing urgency.

"You're perfect... just... ughhhh" he can no longer speak.

He moves his hand between her legs, and finds she is wet for him already. It is all he can do to not plunge into her right then.

"I've heard stories," he blushes, "from my brother, my friends that this is where women like to be touched," he lightly strokes between her legs, round and round her bundle of nerves and she arches into his hand, her hands fly to his shoulders and her nails dig into his flesh.

"Ohhh," she breathes, "yes" she hisses the air between her teeth and nods her head from side to side.

Kid increases the pace, following her rhythm. His mouth finds her breast and he sucks, harder, as she responds to it. Her hand flies to his member and she grips him tightly, almost painfully, "please," she moans. She doesn't know what she is asking for and Kid is unsure of how to fulfill her but he can't think much past her moans and the heat in his own body, begging for release.

She is in fire, her skin is alive, she knows nothing else but the feel of his hands and his mouth and the instinctual moves of her own body. She moves faster and faster against his hand, until her whole body becomes stiff. She groans his name as she floats, crashes and falls apart in his arms. She reaches up and pulls his face to her and kisses him hot, open mouthed, her tongue travels down his neck and Kid's control snaps.

"I don't want to hurt you, I've been told it might... I'll try, to go slow" he says desperately as he moves over her.

She spreads her legs apart and pulls him closer.

"I've heard it will hurt. It's alright, I want to give you what you just gave me."

He nods. It is enough, it has to be because he can't wait any longer. He enters her, and his eyes roll back in his head at how hot, wet and tight she is. She stiffens and sucks air in between her teeth. He is sweating now,

"I'm sorry... move your legs up, that might..." he doesn't finish the thought because she obeys and he sinks further into her, he feels the resistance, the proof that he is the first one to feel her like this and it gives way as he pushes in a little farther.

"I'm alright," she gasps.

At first it stings, and she is sore, but then she moves hesitantly and it feels better, than more than that, it feels... good. Her movements are stronger now, and Kid loses all thoughts about being tender and slow and gentle. His body takes over and they quickly find a rhythm that leaves them feeling the same pleasure. Kid's shackle and chain are forgotten. The dank chilly air and the darkness of the cellar no longer exists as Kid moves faster and faster inside her. Words flow out of him now, her name, God's, how beautiful she is, and love. He says he loves her, gasps it by her ear as he finally finds his release inside her.

* * *

**A/N: I have been so nervous to post this chapter! Imagine me now hiding behind a potted plant and you'll get the gist of how I feel, posting something like this for the first time. Anyways, many thanks to Hortense for her constant encouragement and cheering me on as I wrote this story. If I didn't post this should would've probably come after me with flaming hockey sticks. **

**I have not much else to add except Happy Thanksgiving! to those who celebrate it. I am very thankful for this fandom.**

**As always, thanks for reading, please review! Thank you!**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

She lays trembling in his arms, as she feels herself come back down to earth. Kid's whole body vibrates until at last he is spent. He holds himself up on his elbows so his weight isn't uncomfortable for her, but it is difficult. She has sapped all his energy, he rewards this with a light kiss on the lips.

"How do you feel?" he asks as he rolls to his side, taking her with him.

She smiles wanly and there are tears in her eyes. She shivers, Kid looks around them and finds her shawl. He reaches back and grabs it, carefully covering her with it as she nestles into the crook of his arm.

"I'm not sure," she answers finally, "there's so many things going through my head right now, I'm not sure which one wins out."

Kid sees her tears now and feels horrible, he pulls her in a tight embrace and holds her there, trying to find words, he settles for,

"I'm sorry,"

She takes a deep shuddering breath to calm herself,

"What for?"

"For making you cry," he answers.

She can hear the emotion in his voice and she shakes her head,

"I don't regret what we just did. It was... beautiful, overwhelming. It's the first time I've felt really loved in a long time. Did you feel that way?" she asks as she turns in his arms so she can see his face. He nods,

"Yes... and I meant what I said, bout falling in love with you. I wouldn't just say words like that just so we could..." and he trails off, looking somewhat embarrassed.

"I know," she says and she sounds somewhat surprised, "maybe I haven't known you long enough to be sure of something like that, but still... I know. I feel the same way," her voice is full of wonder.

She pauses and a comfortable silence settles over both of them. Then she whispers,

"I wish I could keep denying that time is passing and the sun isn't going to come up, but I know it will. I'm still scared, Kid."

Kid sighs and sits up, gently pulling her with him,

"Come on, let's get dressed."

They put their clothes back on. Mary Anne smoothes her hair and her gown, but it is a futile gesture. She knows her clothes and skin are dirty from the ground. She joins Kid back by the post once he has finished lacing up his boots. The candle is almost out, another unwanted reminder that their time is ending. Mary Anne finally says with as much courage as she can muster,

"I'm going to ride out as soon as everyone is sleeping tonight. I'll take Katy and ride straight towards Sweetwater as fast as I can, and I'll find the Marshal and your friends at the station and bring them back with me."

Kid gazes at her, he knows how scared she is, and he frantically thinks for any other way to get them out of this, but there isn't one and so agrees. He briefly tells her more details of Sam Cain and Teaspoon and his fellow riders, what they look like, where they live. She takes it all in and grabs his hands tightly. She looks to the candle. They have minutes left before it is gone.

"I have to leave you now, Kid. Don't know if I should leave the door propped open, even a little bit..."

"No, don't risk it. It was nice, but I'll be ok... I'm more worried about you."

She laughs a little, but it is an unnatural sound,

"You're the one chained up in a cellar," she says as she pulls him close to her and wraps her arms around his neck, "you mean the world to me now... If anything happens to you..." she can't finish the thought, but kisses him instead.

He kisses her back deeply and then pulls away,

"Mary Anne, I'll be with you today, when you go back in that house and put the keys back. When you go about your chores and make their meals, and tonight too, especially tonight. Whatever strength I have in me, I'll give to you. I'll feel when you need me... I've been inside of you now," she blushes at the words and drops her gaze but he tips her head up and waits till she meets his eyes, "I know people usually don't talk so plainly, but I have and it was the most beautiful thing I've ever felt in my life. When you're scared, feel me touching you, feel me loving you, saying your name. We're connected now, you and me. You gave me a piece of your heart and I gave you a piece of mine," he stops for a second because he can feel tears in his eyes threatening to fall. He takes a deep breath instead,

"Mary Anne, once we're out of this, I will be by your side, and we'll be happy and you won't ever be scared or feel alone, as long as I can do something about it,"

He doesn't say the words, till death us do part, as long as we both shall live, but it is what he means. Mary Anne understands this, somehow and it makes her smile.

"You are a good man to give a heart to, Kid."

She kisses him and they embrace for a long time. She feels warm and loved and her courage is renewed. Moments later, she stands, gathers her things and smiles at him one last time.

"I'll see you soon, before you know it... and you'll be free," she whispers.

He nods his head and smiles. The candle burns out. Her footsteps fade and she is gone.

* * *

She takes great care cleaning herself once she is back in the storage room. Her heart rate is slowly returning to normal after slipping the keys back in her uncle's pocket. With every creak of every floorboard she was sure her uncle and his men would awake with guns drawn, but they did not stir. She hopes luck is still on her side as she sits on the edge of her narrow bed and uses water from her wash basin to scrub her knees, hands, feet. She wipes her face clean and brushes her hair until it is nice and smooth. Her fingers move quickly to plait her hair into two braids. She tosses them over her shoulders and they fall to the middle of her back.

A brief memory flashes through her mind, of her father standing up from the table after breakfast and walking by her on his way to the fields. He tugs on one of her braids and winks, calls her his "baby girl". It makes her smile and yet she knows now more than ever the name does not apply to her any longer. She feels a slight soreness, proof that the physical act between her and Kid was not just a dream, or something she imagined. It occurs to her that maybe she should feel guilty about becoming a woman, in every sense of the word, but she does not, and she will not... at least not today. The washing of water does not wash away the feel of his touch burning against her skin. The slow creep of the sun, heralding a new day does not lessen the power of his words. He loves her. He is strong for her. She finishes dressing and changes into a simple blue frock before laying down to rest for as long as her uncle will allow. It is sure to be a long day and much is uncertain.

* * *

The sound of the key in the lock wakes Mary Anne instantly. She looks outside, towards the sun. She has slept longer than expected. This means her uncle is hung over worse than usual and will have a mood to match. She steels herself and makes her face impassive as she waits for the door to open.

"Ya planning on sleeping the day away?" he growls as the door swings open.

"I was only waiting for you," she says this calmly but there is an edge to her voice she did not intend.

"You getting too big for your britches? cause we can fix that, right quick," he steps into the room, grabs her by the arm, and yanks her to standing.

She flinches but it passes. She resists the urge to fight his grip and instead continues to look at him, unblinking. Her uncle's eyes narrow.

"There is something different about you, Pretty Bird..." He stops at the nickname and Mary Anne's pulse begins to race.

She is mentally begging him not to remember seeing her the night before. He closes his eyes and frowns...

"Pretty Bird," he mumbles again and then he shakes his head as if to clear it.

The motion makes him sway and he coughs. She leans away from the force of his breath and seizes the opportunity to skirt around him.

"Uncle, you need food and come coffee. Does bacon and eggs sound good to you?" she makes her voice light and airy as she heads to the coffee pot.

A grunt is her only reply as her uncle scratches himself and walks out of the house, towards the outhouse. She breathes a sigh of relief as she leans against the sink and closes her eyes. She has passed the first test of the day, but what the rest of the day may hold leaves her feeling sick to her stomach. She says Kid's name in a whisper and feels better just saying it out loud. She allows herself a small smile as she rolls up her sleeves and gets to work.

* * *

It is lunchtime and Mary Anne has just finished setting out stew and fresh bread. She drinks her third cup of coffee as she sits at the end of the table, apart from the men. The lack of sleep and her nerves are getting to her. She hopes her uncle doesn't notice she's had more coffee than usual. She keeps her head down and forces herself to eat. It tastes like sand but she is pretty sure that is only true for her as the rest of the men wolf down her food. She finishes her coffee and walks around the table and collects dirty dishes.

Riley looks up at her and frowns,

"You feeling poorly, Mary Anne? You look a little green around the gills," he observes.

Mary Anne gives him the brightest smile she can muster. Of the men at the table, Riley is the least vile,

"I'm fine," she mutters as she takes his plate.

She can see her uncle staring at her out of her peripheral vision and quickly moves to the sink and sets up to wash dishes. The men move on to talk of mostly inconsequential things until Beau says impatiently,

"How long do we have to wait to talk to this Kid feller again? Ain't he bout ready to drop over from thirst or fright by now? I want my money, Vin, and if he knows where it is, we're just wasting our time sitting round this here table."

Mary Anne stops for only a fraction of a second before turning all her attention to the pan she is scrubbing. She knows nothing. She knows nothing of Kid, she must not react.

Chuck adds thoughtfully,

"We don't have to wait until he is begging to tell us whatever we ask him, you know. I've used my fists before and that's worked pretty well."

"I bet we could make him piss his pants, you think, Chuck? If I hold a gun right between his legs and click back the hammer..." Beau laughs and the others join.

Mary Anne blinks back tears. Her heart can't take much more of this talk and just as she is contemplating excusing herself, the platter she holds in her soapy hands slips from her grasp and shatters onto the floor. She gasps and drops to her hands and knees to pick up the pieces. She hears her uncle curse from the table. His chair scrapes across the floor and he stomps over to where she kneels.

"Mary Anne," he growls, "what is wrong with you?"

He is looming over her now and the rest of the men have fallen silent. She scoops up the last piece into her apron and stands shakily to her feet.

"I'm just a little tired is all," she whispers.

She keeps her eyes fixed on his boots. He grabs her chin in his hand, and yanks her head up. His grip is like a vise as his fingers dig into her flesh. She can't help the tears that roll down her cheeks now.

"Why are you crying then?" he enunciates every word as he pulls her closer to him.

She fists her hands in her apron, not daring to drop one shattered piece.

"Because you're hurting me," she gasps.

He doesn't move a muscle, he glares at her instead, waiting,

"There's more... Are you concerning yourself with things you shouldn't, Pretty Bird?"

The nickname is ground out like a curse. She winces and tries to move away, but he holds fast. She feels her anger rise and she spits out,

"I have no idea what you're talking about, I'm too simple to understand what's going on around here anyways, ain't that right?" there is fire in her eyes now, she does not back down.

"Little bitch," he sneers.

He pushes her away, hard. She stumbles and the pieces fall from her apron and scatter every which way.

"Riley, Chuck, why don't you go into town. Get us the supplies we're needing. Beau, come with me. Time to have a 'talk' with our old friend's brother."

The other men agree and move out quickly. Mary Anne crouches to pick up the pieces. Vincent walks by her and pauses. He kicks with his boot at what she has already gathered, till they are scattered across the kitchen.

"Clean this mess up," he mutters before he strides out of the house.

Mary Anne sinks down, the pieces forgotten. She waits until she is sure the men are out of earshot before she allows herself to cry. She covers her mouth with her hands as hot tears stream down her face. Her whole body shakes in despair,

"Forgive me... Oh God, forgive me, Kid... What have I done to you?"

* * *

Kid sleeps for an unknown amount of time and awakes with a start. He is half expecting to feel Mary Anne by his side but she isn't there. He stands suddenly, feeling the full weight of his confinement. His wrist is rubbed raw, his nerves are worse. His eyes frantically search for light and he finds the tiniest evidence. There is a gap at the bottom where wood meets earth. It is so faint he suspects is it shortly after dawn. He stretches as much as he can, then settles against the wall and focuses all his attention on that tiny crack. It keeps him sane. It is constant proof that the outside world has not disappeared since he was thrown into darkness. He breathes, deeply and lets his eyes unfocus as he thinks. Teaspoon and the others still may be on their way. Word might have reached them that he's gone missing by now. At the very worst Mary Anne will get word to them. The thought of her riding alone at night fills him with dread but he pushes that emotion down too. He has faith in her, he believes she will gallop across the plains without incident because he has to believe that fate gave her to him for a reason. They will both escape and find a future in each other. He will look back one day when they are old and think this was a small price to pay.

Thoughts of Mary Anne keep him company for a while. He can still smell her on his skin and it warms him more than any blanket could, but eventually his thoughts turn to Jed. He has not allowed himself to grieve much. He tells himself there has been no time, but he knows that to be a lie. He has spent hours alone riding across the plains. There was time to cry, scream, curse if he had wanted to, but he chose to take all his pain and lock it up, hide it in the furthest recesses of his mind. He has nothing but time right now though. Time and a small beam of light. He relives every moment spent with his brother, before he died. Every conversation, looking for answers. Jed charmed Emma and every one of his friends. If Jed hadn't been secretly working a con to steal gold for the Southern Cause, things would've been perfect. Kid is so tired that his grief bubbles to the surface. He feels physical pain as the sorrow pushes past his chest to his throat, until he is audibly crying. His shoulders shake as tears stream down his face. Gradually they subside and it is a relief.

He moves past the strong emotions surrounding Jed's death and focuses instead as to why he is chained in the first place. He had no idea what Jed was involved in, much less where he would hide anything. Kid grunts in disgust, he cannot imagine a more pointless death, if he is killed over something he never knew in the first place. Then a memory flashes through his mind, it stops him cold. He can't believe he hasn't thought of it sooner. Maybe he knows something after all.

_Kid and Jed are sitting on the steps of Emma's porch, watching the sun go down. They have just finished playing their first game of baseball with the rest of the Express riders. They are dirty and exhausted and laughing._

"_That game will never catch on. It don't make much sense, running round in circles like that," Kid says as he watches Teaspoon pick up the bases. Jimmy is still arguing with him over the rules. Jed chuckles,_

"_Well, you had fun, didn't ya? I bet you'll be surprised. This'll stick around long enough for you to play with your boy some day." _

_Kid gives him a disbelieving look but then shrugs,_

_"Maybe. It's a good excuse to fight and get dirty anyways," he allows. _

_Jed nods, then looks past Kid to the other side of the porch,_

_"You want to look in my pack over there, little brother? I've got a handkerchief in there, going to wipe some of this dust off."_

_"Oh, sure," Kid says as he opens the pack, finds the cloth and hands it over. _

_Then his eyes fall to a book laying out right on top._

_"Aesop's Fables? I was wondering where this book went," Kid says with a faraway smile on his face. _

_He pulls the book out and runs a hand over the familiar brown cover. Jed reaches out his hand for the pack and book and Kid gives them to him._

_"Ma was real good bout reading to us every night, wasn't she? Don't know why I took it. I missed her I guess. It's a little piece of her I carry with me. I even read through it from time to time," Jed turns it over in his hands before carefully placing it in his pack. _

_He gives Kid a sidelong glance, "I left you The Brothers Grimm on account of how much you loved Cinderella." Jed bursts into laughter as Kid gives him a shove._

_"Can't hold that against me, I was five... what I remember was how upset you'd get every time Ma would read The Tortoise and the Hare from that Aesop's book. It didn't make no sense to you. You kept arguing the hare should win." _

_"Well, and he should've! God made him faster! Remember how mad you got every time I called you the tortoise when we'd race?" Jed asks. _

_Kid frowns,_

"_Yeah. I never could catch you, being shorter and all. Bet I could beat you now though," Kid is about ready to leap off the porch to suggest a race, but Jed laughs and begs off with a wave of his hand._

"_Oh you'd win for sure... right now at least. I'm bushed," Jed says as he finishes mopping his brow, "you know what, Kid? I may have called you the tortoise, but I meant it as a compliment, or I do now, anyways. I'm always going to be running this race, but I have a feeling you're going to finish better than me. Wise man, that Aesop. There's enough words like that in that book to make a man rich."_

_ Jed shoves himself off the porch, then turns and offers his hand to his brother. _

_Kid smiles and shakes his head,_

"_You always had some sort of get rich quick scheme. Drove mom crazy how you were always digging up her garden, looking for Pirate treasure... but you're doing real well for yourself now, respectable job, steady income. Ma would be real happy." _

_Jed looks at his brother for a minute, his eyes narrow in thought and he opens his mouth as if to say something, but changes his mind._

_"I'm pretty sure Ma would be more proud of you. Come on Tortoise, let's get washed up before Emma raps our knuckles," Jed throws his pack over his shoulder and gives Kid a mischievous smile before breaking into a run towards the water pump. _

_"Hay no fair, you're cheating, Jed!" Kid calls after him as he sprints to catch up._

Kid leans his head against the wall and thinks for a long time. Jed didn't have much of anything in the way of worldly possessions when he died, but he did have that pack. It is inside Kid's trunk back at the Waystation, untouched since the day he buried his brother. The book is still inside. It seems like a long shot, that Jed would hide a secret map or information of some kind like that, but as Kid thinks back to all the holes Jed dug in the garden, his heart starts to race. It's a possibility, a real one.

Kid is just wondering what he's going to do now with what he remembers when the door to the cellar crashes open. His hair stands on end. The foot fall is heavy, there is more than one. A lantern illuminates the small space brighter than he has ever seen it. Two men come into view a second later. They are large men, their faces are twisted in anger. The larger steps forward, his long, tangled brown hair hangs over half his face, casting shadows over his features, but there is no mistaking who this is.

"So this is Kid, brother of Jed. Welcome to my farm. I hope you've been enjoying your stay," his voice drips sarcasm, "I'm Vincent and we're about to become friends."

* * *

**A/N: I was going to update this sooner, but the holidays happened. I hope everyone who celebrates had a Happy Thanksgiving! **

**Thank you all for the support you've given this story so far. It means so much to me. Please keep reading and reviewing! **

**(oh and Vincent... shudder! He may be the ickiest character I have ever written and that last line of his?... eeek!)**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Kid watches the two men walk towards him in silence. He feels like a cornered mouse, about to become the plaything of two very angry cats. He does not move. He should be hungrier and thirstier than he actually is, he reminds himself. Probably more afraid too, although he wonders if that's possible. His hands are shaking so bad he balls them into fists.

"What do you want from me," he says hoarsely, his voice quivers in fear. It is not an act.

"Oh not much," Vincent drawls, "just what your brother owed us."

Beau stands on the other side of Kid and adds,

"You do know what sort of man your brother was, don't you? Before he got careless and let himself get killed, that is... he was a thief, a murderer. Hell, he might have even been worse than either one of us," he says with a laugh. It is a cold sound.

"The South still needs what your brother stole from us, Kid. We're just trying to get it back to The Cause, aren't we, Beau?" Vincent says, almost amiably.

"Yes we sure are. Good Virginia boy like you should be jumping at the chance to help us." Beau squats down to say this until he is almost eye level with Kid. Kid fights the urge to move away.

"You sure have a funny way of asking for my help, knocking me out, leaving me in here to rot for two days. What makes you think I'd tell you anything?" Kid asks.

His voice is sharp as his anger grows. Sunlight is flooding in from outside through the open cellar door. He can hear birds, smell fresh air. Freedom is so close and yet the shackle on his wrist is a painful reminder of how far it actually is. Kid wishes he still has his gun. He would not regret for an instant killing the two men dead where they stand. Vincent holds the lantern close to Kid's face, so close he can feel the heat against his skin.

"Kid, this is why we need to become friends. I can be very persuasive. Course you'll find that out real quick, if you don't tell us what we want to know," Vincent says with a sneer.

Kid shields his eyes from the brightness of the light with the back of his hand,

"What if I don't have what you want?" he asks.

"Oh Kid. That would be bad for you, real bad. I don't know if you want to think about that, just yet," Beau laughs as he stands, shoulder to shoulder with Vincent.

"Whether I have what you want or not, I don't see how this ends well for me," Kid says in sudden defiance.

He jumps to his feet and moves towards the pole, where he is able to stand the straightest. His hands are balled at fists at his sides, showing white knuckles. His jaw tightens and his eyes are pure defiance. They are smiling at his last comment. It almost makes them look like wolves,

"and if that's the case, why on earth would I do anything to help you?"

Vincent regards him quietly for a moment. He tilts his head and his eyes narrow.

"You must be very strong Kid, stronger than most men... It don't seem like your time down here has made you very cooperative. I wonder why that is?"

"Yeah... why ain't you calling for your Ma, begging us to let you out of here. There's no other way out, cept through us." Beau adds.

Kid gulps. Mary Anne. He has to think about her, play this smart. He only has two goals. To stay alive without telling them anything, and to keep her safe.

"If my brother held out on you, he did it for a reason. He must'a known what lowlifes you are. My brother was brave and he believed in the cause. If he took your share, it was cause he couldn't trust you to do nothing else with it than to spend it on booze," Kid lets his voice grow louder, angrier with every word he speaks.

He raises his unchained left hand in a fist. His entire stance is a challenge.

"What did you say boy?" Vincent whispers as he take several menacing steps closer.

"Are you hard of hearing too? You heard me. You're a lowlife. I only seem strong to you, because you're so weak."

Kid hardens his jaw and braces himself, hoping his gamble has paid off.

"You sonofabitch," Vincent growls. He hands the lantern off to Beau who looks just as livid.

"Teach him some manners, Vin,"

Vincent says nothing, but he sneers, just before rearing back and launching his fist towards Kid's midsection. Kid is able to skirt the blow and using his chained right hand grabs Vincent by his shirt, then punches him with a strong left hook. Vincent stumbles back, shocked. He takes a second to catch his breath.

"Beau," he says with deadly calm, "put down the lantern."

They stride over to him and Kid takes a deep breath. They are reacting like he wants. He just hopes he knows what he's doing. A second before both men descend on him, Kid catches a flash of metal. Vincent's shirt is now partially torn open, he sees on a leather strap around Vincent's neck. The key. It is _his_ key. His hand makes a quick motion to reach for it before returning to form a first. Vincent notices and laughs.

"Oh, this?" he fingers the key before letting it drop back down to his chest, "you'll be getting this over my dead body."

Kid is about to reply that that would be fine with him, when Vincent abruptly moves to stand around his back. He grabs both of Kid's arms at the elbows and pins them back. Kid struggles against the hold, but the man's grip is like a vice. He continues to fight against the man, spewing curses he didn't even realize he knew. It only makes Beau who is walking to stand in front of him laugh. Beau cracks his knuckles and shakes his shoulders loose.

"Now, Vin?" he asks

"Oh, yeah... Now."

Kid braces himself a second before the beating starts. Beau's fists pummel him. Left hook, right jab, again and again, in the stomach, in the chest. Beau then throws his fist wide and knocks Kid on the side of the head. Kid has had enough. His legs no longer support him. He is like dead weight. Vincent quickly drops him to the floor. Kid lands on his side. He is completely limp. One arm partially covers his face.

Vincent curses in disgust,

"Beau, you knocked him out. Now he can't tell us nothing."

"Yeah, didn't mean to do that. Weak my eye. Look at him sprawled out like that. Pathetic."

Kid feels someone walking back towards him. He stays perfectly still and loose.

"Better make sure," Vincent mutters as he rears back his boot and kicks Kid's midsection with a sickening thud. Kid doesn't move.

"We didn't kill him, did we?" Beau asks, sounding almost nervous. He leans forward, close to Kid's face, "No, he's breathing. Maybe this is for the best. He'll be more cooperative tomorrow."

Beau reaches for the lantern and starts to walk towards the stairs,

"You comin, Vin?"

Kid can feel Vincent's eyes on him.

"Still feels like something ain't right here. Like someone was... but no, it couldn't be," he mutters and walks away to join Beau at the stairs.

"Don't know what it is with these ornery young people. He _will_ tell us what we want, then we can kill him. Gotta admit. It'll be satisfying," Beau says.

Kid hears Vincent's grunt of approval as they climb the stairs,

"I need to get Pretty Bird back in line too. After all my kindness to her, treating her like a lady... I don't know, Beau," Vincent sighs, "she needs a firm hand."

Beau laughs and his voice is faint now,

"Well, she needs something firm, I'd wager."

The sound of both men laughing is the last thing Kid hears before the door slams closed and he is again enveloped by darkness. He struggles to sit up, his mind filled with sudden panic. Blood pours from a cut on the side of his face. There is no body part that is not in pain. He is alive. His plan to play possum worked and he has bought them some time but none of that matters right now. He struggles to stand. He pulls against his chain and lets out a cry of frustration, before he falls to trembling knees. His voice is hoarse and filled with anguish,

"Mary Anne..."

He whispers her name, tears fall down his cheeks and he does not notice. He calls to her with his whole being,

"Mary Anne... run!"

* * *

Mary Anne watches Vincent and Beau through the window as they walk down the steps into the cellar. Chuck and Riley are rounding the bend on the buckboard, headed into town. She is alone. She quickly dries her eyes and gathers the shattered pieces of broken platter. She throws them in the garbage, then stands stock still in the kitchen, mind racing. She will not think of what might be happening right to Kid right now, she will only start crying again. She must think of what she can do to get them out of there that very night. She has a rare window of opportunity and she needs to act, fast. She is suddenly a blur. She finds a burlap sack and throws travelling food in it. Jerky, biscuits, hard cheese. She take two canteens and fills them to the brim, She shoves her shawl into the sack and some matches. She also finds a daguerreotype of herself and her parents, taken several years ago. She remembers the day it was taken. The hug she received from her mother as she smoothed her hair out of her eyes for the photographer. She lightly runs her hand over the photo before slipping it in between the pages of one of her favorite books and places it in with the other items. It is the only sentimental moment she allows herself. The sack is then shoved behind some crates in the storage room and covered with an extra blanket.

The kitchen looks presentable, and does not need to cleaned anymore. She doesn't know how much time she has but she decides she will risk one more errand. She grabs the egg basket and heads to the barn. As she approaches she can hear the sounds of yelling from the open cellar door. Her uncle and Beau are threatening Kid. It makes her heart race so much she feels like she may be sick. Blinking her tears away, she walks quickly into the barn, treading as lightly as possible. She finds what she is looking for on the workbench inside, behind a box of nails. It is a discarded jack knife that belonged to her father. She doubts her uncle ever noticed it was there. He spent very little time at the workbench as he did very little farming. She slips it into her pocket and pats it, assuring herself it is there. She moves to her horse's stall and pours some oats into her feeder, then she does the same for Katy, Kid's horse, making sure they have water as well. It has only taken her a minute or two but suddenly she feels the urge to run and so she sprints out of the barn, her feet hardly make a sound. She corners the chicken coop just in time to see her uncle and Beau walk up the stairs from the cellar. She knows they will spot her any second now and so she turns all her attention to the chickens, looking for eggs in the hen's boxes. To her relief she finds a few and puts them in the basket she has carried this whole time in the crook of her elbow. She hears "Pretty Bird", followed by the men's laughter and her heart drops. She knows that laugh. It is a cruel sound, containing no warmth. She shrinks away, thinking her luck may hold and they will not see her, but it is too late,

"What are you doing out here, Pretty Bird?" her uncle asks after noticing her presence. His eyes narrow quickly as he abruptly turns and walks towards her.

"Eggs," she says as she holds the basket in front of her while quickly walking towards the house. He uncle grabs her elbow and stops her.

"Egg gatherin time is in the morning, Sugar," his grip tightens and she bites her lip from the pain. Her eyes fly to his,

"I need em for a cake I was going to bake tonight. I wanted fresh," she says through gritted teeth.

Then her eyes fall to the key peeking out from under his open shirt. She swallows a gasp. It is _the _key, she knows it.

"You like staring at my chest, Pretty Bird? Feeling some womanly urges? Maybe that's what's been different bout you lately. Maybe you don't want to be a little girl no more," he sneers at the shock she can't quite hide.

"Cake. I need to make the cake," she says hoarsely.

She breaks his hold, yanking free with all the strength she can muster. She shoves past Beau, who has watched the entire conversation with amusement and runs into the house. Beau's parting words chill her to the bone.

"You know Vin, women love dessert. _All_ dessert."

* * *

It is almost dinner time before Chuck and Riley return from town. They have brought home a fresh supply of whiskey and break into it before she can even serve dinner. Mary Anne has waited on pins and needles to hear her uncle or Beau mention something about Kid, but they haven't mentioned him at all. She prays this is a good sign, that he is still alive. She finds out for certain as she is ladling the men their portions of stew.

"He wouldn't talk, Chuck. Just got real mad and mouthy. Had to beat him to show him his place," Beau explains as he takes a bite of stew. Chuck frowns, but keeps chewing his food.

"What is your plan for him?" Riley asks instead.

"Chaining him up hasn't worked like I thought," Vincent muses, "we'll just have to get more creative tomorrow-"

"I ain't going to cotton any more of his lip, Vin. I want the money, but there may be other ways to get it, if we have to kill him."

Riley retorts that there has to be ways to get the information out of him, that killing him won't make them rich and Chuck agrees, saying they should be content to kill him after they are certain he doesn't know where the money is. The men start to argue, they grow louder the more they drink. Mary Anne has stopped listening. She stares at her plate, moving her food around with her fork, and occasionally forces the food past her lips. She watches them pass the bottle back and forth under hooded eyes. Increasingly more whiskey sloshes onto the table, instead of in their glasses, as the conversation continues. She gets up quietly and places the cake she made as well as plates and forks on the table without comment. They tear into it, they do not thank her. She is not surprised, and she is beyond caring.

The dishes are finished quickly as she plots. Her plan starts to shift as she feels the slight weight of the jack knife in her pocket. Riding out to Sweetwater for help and coming back for Kid seems too risky now. All four men are riled up. Out of the corner of her mind, their words register. Different torture methods they've heard about. Using a hammer, pulling out teeth, cutting into his flesh. The words are so horrible she can't focus on them. She would react, scream maybe, and beg every single last one of them to spare Kid, to let him go. She would cry that he was a good man, and more than that, that she loves him. It would kill her as well. The image flashes through her head, of her begging on her knees, her tears hitting the dusty floor in front of her uncle. She shudders as she guesses his reaction, all of the horrible things he could do in response, he could... no, she won't even think about it. She instead imagines the key around his neck, cutting it off of him while he sleeps, then freeing Kid and escaping to Sweetwater as fast as their horses can carry them.

Her hands feel sweaty as she dries the dishes and mechanically puts them away. Each dish is carefully set in its place by her trembling hands. She almost feels faint but her feet continue to hold her upright. She is decided. Tonight they both leave together, it is the only way.

* * *

It is late, Mary Anne has finished sweeping, and picking up after the men. She is bone tired. The men have argued and drank themselves in a stupor. Her uncle stumbles outside to the outhouse. Chuck and Beau lean on each other as they make their slow climb up the stairs. Mary Anne walks over to where Riley is slumped in his chair. She nudges him awake. Riley pulls himself to standing and stares at her. He tries to put a hand on her shoulder, but misses,

"You ain't a pretty bird you know, but a beautiful.. woman. Once we," he scratches his head and frowns, then remembers, "once we get the money and that feller is taken care of... I'd take my share and run away with you, Mary Anne," he leans over and tries to kiss her but she steps back slightly, leaving him to embrace the air.

She takes a deep breath and forces a smile,

"That sounds mighty nice, Riley. Let's talk about it more tomorrow, hmm?" she turns his shoulders and gives him a little push towards the stairs. He nods and mutters to himself, she stands watching his departure until the door shuts.

She lets out her breath in relief and turns to go to her room when her uncle walks back in. He glares at her and she's not sure why he's angry. It could be anything, it could be nothing at all.

"I was going to teach you a lesson, I remember now, bout respectin... respecting your elders... I see defiance brewing in you, Pretty Bird... and there are secrets behind your eyes. Something there that weren't before," he closes the distance between them, knocking a chair over in the process.

She meets his bloodshot eyes for only a moment before dropping her gaze to her shoes. She doesn't know what to say, so she says nothing.

"Tell me!" he yells suddenly, striking her face with the back of his hand.

She reels, and staggers back from the force of the blow. She tastes blood on her lips and moves a shaky hand to mop up the trickle from the corner of her mouth. She gulps hard. She must say something,

"I'm tired, uncle. I have worked hard today and hearing some of the things you said about this young man are very difficult for a woman to hear. I'm hoping next time you'll be able to do what you need to, and I'll be able to excuse myself so I don't know the details. That's all I want," she feels bile burning at the back of her throat but she manages to keep her face calm so there is a chance he may believe her.

He lets out a snort,

"Weak... all you women folk. Weak, simpleminded, only good for keeping house and warming beds..."

She nods in agreement as he steps towards her again. He runs a hand down her front, then wraps his arm around her waist. She shivers in revulsion.

"I'm your blood kin. If I am to warm a bed, I would rather it be one of the other men's," she can barely choke this lie out but he doesn't seem to notice.

He starts to say something but then there is a gurgling noise from his throat. He is swallowing back his own vomit. He leans against the table, and mutters the word, "whore," before stumbling up the stairs. She hears the sound of him collapsing in bed moments later. It is the first time in months he has not locked her in her room.

She walks in a daze to the storage room and closes the door behind her. The constant strain has worn her paper thin and she lays down, fully clothed. She allows herself to breathe, just breathe and holds the knife in her pocket tightly. She will rest her eyes, she will wait until their sleep is a little deeper, and then she will get the key. She imagines Kid's warm blue eyes, she sees them darken with desire for her, she feels his hands on her, hears him whispering how much he cares in her ears. He said he would give her strength and right then as she drifts into the lightest of sleeps, she feels his strength. It wraps around her like a blanket and keeps her warm.

* * *

An hour, maybe two has passed. She wakes with a start. Kid, she is suddenly filled with worry for him. He is hurt, she doesn't know how badly. The time is now. She pulls her hair back and out of her face with a ribbon and makes sure her shoes are tightly laced. She opens her window wide enough to drop her burlap sack out to the ground below. It lands with a soft thud. Then she opens the door carefully. She can hear loud snoring coming from upstairs and tries to relax. They are dead to the world. Her feet barely make a sound as she creeps up the stairs in the dark. She is just outside her uncle's room. The door is ajar and soft light spills out into the hallway. He has left a lantern burning in his room. She peers in and sees the lantern on his dresser, there is also a gun belt and gun next to it that she hasn't seen before. It has to be Kid's. She will grab it on the way out, she thinks. Her uncle is splayed out on his back across the bed, naked from the waist up, with his pants and boots still on. The key shines in the lantern light as it lays on his chest.

Mary Anne feels her breath coming faster and faster. She struggles to calm herself down as she takes the knife out of her pocket and flips it open. This is it. She has come too far to fail Kid now. She takes the short steps to his side and gently lifts the leather strap with her fingers. The knife is poised to cut through it. A shudder goes through her uncle. He coughs and his eyes fly open. He sees her this time, really sees her. He sits up in an instant, grabbing her wrist almost causing her to lose her grip on the knife.

"Little bitch!" he hisses as he pushes her down.

* * *

**A/N: Yikes! **

**Will our heroes prevail? I feel like I should be saying something about Bat-times and Bat-channels :)** **I will post the follow up to this soon. Thanks again for reading and reviewing!**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

It is almost too much for Kid, the hours of helpless waiting. He lays on his back for a while after Vincent and Beau leave and watches the tiny glimmer of light he can see. The beam of light finds the ground inches away from his fingers. He reaches for it, but he can only stretch so far. A few more inches and he'd be able to touch it... his fingers grasp but he has to stop, the pain in his ribs is too much. He lets out a laugh that chokes out of him and sounds more like a sob. Of course even this small thing is just out of his grasp. Mary Anne is in the house with her uncle and his men, going through her day, waiting hand and foot on them and they could turn on her at any moment. Like a lamb to the slaughter.

He wants to jump up right now, run into the house with two guns, grab Mary Anne, shoot anything that moves and get her out of there... but that is just as out of reach as the damn ray of light on the floor. He slams his fist against the ground, and feels tears prick his eyes again, but he angrily blinks them away. He will not cry anymore. He has cried more in the last two days than he can ever remember. He is done.

He forces his body upright, moves to lean against the pillar and takes stock of his injuries. His legs are uninjured, they are mostly sore from not using them enough. One of his hands is slightly sore from punching Vincent. The other is fine except for his wrist. The shackle has left his wrist a bloody mess and he tries not to move it too much. He knows he has bruises on his head and face, but he's had worse punches. He moves his jaw back and forth gingerly but that also feels fine. His torso however, feels like it's on fire. He touches his ribs and winces, they hurt like hell, but he guesses they are bruised only. His stomach hurts almost as bad. Vincent kicked him hard. His whole midsection is probably turning purple right now, but it doesn't matter. He is intact enough... for whatever is next. He tries to anticipate what that is, and what he could do to help Mary Anne, if nothing else.

If something happens and Mary Anne isn't able to ride to Sweetwater, or if she doesn't arrive in time, he will make a deal with Vincent and his men. He will tell them he thinks he knows where the money is. He will say or do whatever it takes to get out of this hole and insure Mary Anne is safe. If she escapes at least, it will be worth it.

He focuses his thoughts on her. She is safe, smiling. She is running across a field, laughing with her whole being. Her green eyes sparkle, her hair is like spun gold in the sunlight. She is breathtakingly beautiful and alive. Occasionally he imagines himself there, picking her up, twirling her around, then pulling her in tight, kissing her until she is weak in the knees... but mostly he imagines her alone. It is almost too much to hope they both make it out of this alive.

Eventually he falls asleep. It is fitful. He dreams of Sam in the bunkhouse, telling Emma and Teaspoon and the rest of his family that he is missing. Emma's eyes cloud with tears, Jimmy reaches for his gun and jumps to leave the table. Teaspoon holds Jimmy's shoulders down and they talk, Teaspoon says they need the facts. The dream changes to watching them ride out after him, to Vincent and his men getting the drop on them. There is gunfire and so much blood. It changes again to Mary Anne struggling with Vincent, he is too powerful, her eyes are full of terror. She screams and does not stop screaming.

Kid wakes, gasping for breath and covered in sweat. He is trembling from head to toe and scrambles to his feet, trying to shake the fear. It was just a dream, only a dream, he says out loud but that hardly makes a dent in the fear he feels. He looks for the crack of light on the floor, but it is gone. It is night out. Mary Anne might be galloping on Katy's back right now towards Sweetwater and she will find his family. They will all be here before they know it and all of them will be fine.

"Oh God," he gasps as he tries to calm his racing heart, "keep my angel safe. Protect her." He says the prayer over and over again. It is all he can do.

* * *

"_This_ is what you've wanted, is it, his key? Have you been sneaking around behind my back, spreading your legs for him?" Vincent spits the words in Mary Anne's face as he pushes her back on the bed. She struggles. Her heart is hammering in her chest,

"Please... please uncle. Let me go," she whispers, hoarsely. His breath is hot on her face now, he is still drunk and the smell of whiskey on his breath almost makes her gag.

"There is no way in hell I'm letting you fly free, Pretty Bird. Now that I know what you really are. What you've given away," he positions himself over her and pushes against her legs with his knee until he forces them open.

"I haven't done anything, please-"

"Liar," he grinds out as his mouth crashes against hers.

She tries to bite him, and he moves away,

"there ain't nothing you can do to stop this from happening now," he laughs as he pins both wrists with one of his hands and shifts his attention to her skirts, to pulling the fabric up over her knees.

His grip on her hand is loose for one split second. Mary Anne seizes her one chance. She twists her wrist until the one hand holding the knife is free. He leans back from her to try to pin her again, but she is struggling fiercely. Mary Anne lets out a cry as she grips the knife and plunges it into his chest with all her might. The blade finds space between his ribs and sinks in. His eyes bulge out in surprise,

"Pretty Bird... you got me."

He collapses on top of her. The knife is almost completely embedded in him now. Mary Anne is gasping for breath, tears run freely. Run, she has to run. Go... go. She doesn't realize she is whispering the words out loud. She shoves her uncle's body off of her and scrambles off the bed. The key is laying there, still around her uncle's neck. She yanks the string and it breaks free. She holds the key so tightly in her palm, it hurts. Freedom. Go... go. She shoves it in her pocket, then remembers the gun and holster. She scoops them up in her arms and reaches for the lantern. It is then that she sees blood splatter from her uncle on her clothes, across her chest. She blinks and refuses to look again. She will not think about it now. Go... go. She grabs the lantern, her hands are full as she walks quickly to the door, only to see Riley standing there.

"What the hell?" he asks sleepily.

His eyes grow wide as he looks past Mary Anne to Vincent, lying in a pool of his own blood on the bed. Mary Anne fumbles for the gun, she whispers harshly,

"Don't make me shoot you Riley. He tried to, he tried to force... I'm leaving. Don't try to stop me."

She edges towards the stairs, her voice is trembling, pleading. Riley's expression hardens. He seems to be considering his options. He stares at her with bleary, bloodshot eyes, then sighs,

"Git. You have a head start. When they wake up though, I go out with guns blazing just like them."

She nods in understanding, her feet are already flying down the stairs, out of the house. She can hear stirring as she shuts the door. She sprints to where her burlap sack lays, picks it up and runs to the cellar door. She sets the sack, the gun belt and the lantern down long enough to pull open the door. Then she picks the lantern and the gun belt back up. She holds the lantern out, as she races down the stairs, praying she doesn't slip.

* * *

Kid stands to his feet as soon as he hears the door being pushed open. Something is very wrong. A second later he sees her,

"Mary Anne?" he almost starts to panic. She is covered in blood.

"Not my... not my blood. Please. We have to hurry. We only have minutes. Key," she produces the key from her pocket as she sets the lantern down. Then she shoves the gun belt into his outstretched hands, "I have the key. Put that on. They're... they're coming."

Kid does what she says. He puts the gun belt on with surprising speed, given his trembling fingers, then holds out his wrist. Mary Anne looks at him for one second and breathes. She holds the key in both hands, forcing her fingers to obey her. The key goes in, she turns the lock and the shackle springs open. Kid opens it further and throws it off his wrist. It drops to the floor. They rush into each other's arms, embracing for the briefest moment.

"Are you hurt?" Kid asks as he releases her and moves his wrist, he is already running to the stairs.

"No... My uncle is dead," she answers flatly.

Kid's lips become a thin line. No other explanation is needed for now. He unholsters his gun and holds it in front of both of them, ready to fire. She is right behind him. The lantern is left where it sits underground. She grabs the burlap sack at the top of the stairs.

"The horses," she says, already running to the barn.

He runs behind her, looking over his shoulder.

"Can you saddle 'em? I'll watch the door," he asks as they race into the barn.

She gives him a curt nod. She is already opening her horse's stall, throwing her saddle over her horse's back. Kid stands with most of his body behind the frame of the door. He peers into the inky blackness of the night and watches the house. There is light shining from inside. It will be any second now. The front door opens. Two older men race out, one banking right, the other left, guns drawn. Shots are fired, Kid ducks behind the door for a second and takes a deep breath. His hand is now steady. He has enough bullets for them. He whips back around the door again and catches the movement of one man. He pulls the trigger and fires. The man instantly crumbles to the ground. More shots towards the barn, closer now. Kid looks again, there is a younger looking man, rounding the side of the barn and Kid takes aim, just as the younger man dives for cover. He is also hit.

"How many men, besides your uncle?" Kid calls out over his shoulder. He glimpses Mary Anne, almost finished saddling Katy.

"Three."

Kid nods,

"I got two of em,"

She brings the horses over. The burlap sack is tied to her saddle,

"They're ready."

Kid looks at her, even in the low light, he can see she is trembling. Tears stream down her face.

"Are you?" he asks.

She nods her head yes.

"Alright. Stay ahead of me, on my left, so I'm between you and the house, and ride as fast as you can to the road. _Do not stop for me_, do you understand?" the words come out harsher than he means them, but she doesn't seem to notice.

"I understand. Go.. we need to go..."

She hikes up her skirts and mounts her horse. Kid does the same in one fluid motion. His whole being is focused on escape, he doesn't feel the pain from his injuries.

Kid smiles at Mary Anne,

"We're going to make it, Angel."

"I know," she gives him a small smile back.

Kid reaches over and grabs her hand and squeezes it. Then he urges Katy forward, riding out of the barn,

"Go, Mary Anne, go!"

She urges her horse into a gallop. Kid flanks her, his gun held wide. They ride side by side, seeing no one. Suddenly, a shot is fired. Kid yelps in pain. He's been hit, on the side he thinks. He twists behind him and the motion feels like fire but he sees the man who shot at him and before the man can raise his gun again, Kid pulls the trigger. His aim is true, hitting the man in the chest. The man falls back into the dirt.

They do not stop to make sure the other two are dead. They ride like the hounds of hell are chasing them until their horses are frothing at the mouth and show signs of tiring from the full out gallop. Kid is feeling light headed. He holds his hand to his side and pulls his hand back to his face. The moon is mostly full on this cloudless night. The blood dripping off his fingers is clear to see.

"Mary Anne," he calls, his voice sounds strange to his own ears.

He holds tightly to his reins as a wave of dizziness and nausea washes over him.

"We need to stop... I..."

She whips around at the sound of his voice. She feels her heart drop,

"Kid... no!" she screams as he slumps over Katy's neck.

* * *

**A/N: Another cliffhanger. I know! I didn't intend to leave my characters dangling from precipices like this, much less my dear readers for over a week! Things kinda got away from me this week. Little things like 14 inch snow storms have a way of putting a cramp in your daily routine. **

**Anyways! I promise I will post another chapter, one where things start to calm... after a fashion. **

**Thank you for reading/reviewing and your patience :)**


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

"Please, God..." Mary Anne cries as she watches Kid struggle to stay in the saddle.

She pulls her horse up short and grabs his reins. He feels her by him and forces himself to sit as upright as he can, he grips his pommel for dear life.

"What-" she starts as she reaches for him.

"I was hit. Don't know how bad," he admits in a whisper.

Mary Anne's mind works furiously. They've rode too far from Granger, they aren't close enough to the next down, to risk the continued travel. She looks around for a suitable spot off the road, Kid is doing the same thing.

"There, just to our right. There's a copse of trees at the bottom of that hill, we can hide there, in case..."

Kid nods,

"A stream's nearby too. I've watered Katy here before."

"Oh good," she sighs in relief.

Mary Anne dismounts first and throws the lead for her horse in a low hanging branch, then rushes back to Kid's side. She offers him her hand and he takes it. He manages to dismount, leaning heavily on her and situates Katy by Mary Anne's horse before his feet nearly give way. He staggers to the nearest tree and slides down the trunk to the ground. Mary Anne runs to grab her burlap sack and then quickly kneels beside him. She pales at the site of the blood seeping through his jacket.

"Let me take this off," she whispers as she tugs on the shoulders of his outer garment.

He nods and winces as he shrugs it off. She bunches it up and puts it behind his head to make him more comfortable as he lays down with a grunt.

"I'm going to undo your shirt," she says, her hands already working on the buttons.

"I've been hoping I'd hear words like that again."

Mary Anne looks at him sharply. The strain in his voice belies the smile he tries to give her. His breath is ragged and he coughs. She feels panic rising in her throat, threatening to choke her, as she gently opens his shirt.

"Yes... well, I'd enjoy it more if I wasn't worried you were going to bleed to death," she tries to keep the worry out of her voice as she runs her hands down his chest.

Kid sucks in his breath, he wants the warmth of her feather light touch more than anything else, but as soon as she runs her hands by his wound, the pain is so intense he has to bite his lip from crying out.

"I think the bleeding has slowed a little," he says, trying to sound more confident than he actually is.

He winces as he puts his hand flush against the wound to slow the bleeding further. He feels the hot oozing blood run past his fingers, dripping to the ground.

"Do you think I can risk making a small fire? I have some matches... I'm going to tear strips from my dress for bandages. I'd like to be able to see, make sure I'm doing it proper."

Kid struggles to think clearly,

"Pretty sure I shot two of them dead. The third one though, think I only wounded him. Don't know what sort of man he is, if he'd ride after us, banged up like that or not."

"What did he look like?" Mary Anne asks, feeling a whole new sense of dread.

"He was young, he dived behind the barn as I was shooting, think I got him in the thigh," he answers, frowning as he tries to remember, it's all becoming a blur.

"That's Riley," Mary Anne answers, "he helped me escape, sort of. I was going to tell you, out of the three men that he didn't deserve killing, but there wasn't time. He's bad, but not as bad as the rest. I don't think he'll come after us."

"How did he help?"

Mary Anne shakes her head,

"I can't think about... escaping from my uncle without wanting to cry... I'll tell you everything after I'm sure you're not going to die on me."

"Alright," Kid whispers, "I want to know all about it later though. Make sure I don't have to go back there... kill everyone a second time."

She smiles at him, though he can't see it and leans over, caresses his face. His skin feels clammier than she'd like.

"You rest, my love. I'll make the fire."

Kid reaches up and holds her hand with his own, he kisses her palm in response. His eyes close as he hears her go off in search of kindling. A sense of peace wash over him, despite not being out of the woods yet. She called him her love.

Mary Anne finds kindling and a few decent sized branches quickly. She retrieves her matches and after a few false starts, the fire roars to life. She gets a good look at Kid. His eyes are closed but she doubts he is asleep. She sees his bruises, on his face and on his torso. They are an ugly contrast to the paleness of his skin. Then her eyes fall to the gunshot wound, to the growing stain of blood.

"Oh Kid..." her voice shakes with emotion as she sits down next to him.

His eyes open and he turns his head to look at her,

"Hay there, beautiful," he says quietly with an attempt at a smile.

"Your poor body..." she pulls up her dress to get at her petticoat, and tries to tear at the fabric, but her arms have lost the strength for the task.

She lets out a frustrated cry, pulling at the petticoat again. Kid stops her hand,

"It's ok, sweetie."

"No, it's not! You need this bandage _now_. This has to work... damn it!"

Kid runs his fingers over the top of her hand,

"I had a knife in my saddlebags. It should be there, unless your uncle took it."

She takes a calming breath,

"I'll go look. Here," she pulls one of the canteens out of the sack, "you must be so thirsty, please drink some. There's some food in there too... don't suppose you're in the mood to eat just now..."

"Not very hungry," Kid admits as he brings the canteen to his mouth with a shaky hand.

He watches her hurry away and forces his own pain to the back of his mind. He knows she's been through a lot, he just doesn't know how much. His heart lurches imaging what she may have endured to help him escape. He flashes back to his nightmare and his mouth is suddenly dry. His beautiful angel...

She finds the knife in his saddlebags. It glints in her hands the closer she comes to the fire. She almost drops it on the spot. Her uncle, the sickening sound her father's blade made traveling into his body, the blood. The blood all over her clothes. She is shaking now, but she grips the knife tighter and angrily orders her mind to stop. She scurries over to rejoin Kid and wordlessly takes the knife to her petticoats. She winces at the tearing sound, blinking back her tears, sniffling a little. Finally her task is done and she throws the knife down as if it was on fire.

Kid watches her, he sees the riot of emotions pass over her face. She is anguished and all he wants to do is take her in his arms. It frustrates him at how difficult a task that may be. The canteen almost feels too heavy as he takes another drink before passing it back to her.

"You may need this," he says as he places the canteen in her hands.

"Oh yes... we'll have to clean out the wound first," she says absently.

She pours water over the wound. There is blood all over the lower left side of his torso, but as the water washes it away, revealing the actual injury. She releases the breath she didn't realize she had been holding. The wound is smaller than she thought, but still deep enough to bleed swiftly if his bandages aren't tight. She runs her hand idly over his stomach in relief and her cheeks flush from the feel of his warm, naked skin under her fingers. Kid notices and gazes at her only more intently. She suddenly feels shy, so she returns her attention to the wound,

"It's not as bad as I feared," she says as she leans in closer, "the bullet may have passed right through."

She takes the makeshift bandages and starts to wrap the fabric around his torso. He forces himself to lift his back slightly, granting her better access. She is so close to him now.

"Told ya I'd be fine," he says through gritted teeth.

She gives him a watery smile, but remains silent until she is finished. She pulls the bandage extra tight before tying it in place.

"Ow," he says before biting his lip.

"I know I tied it pretty tight, I just don't want to risk...It feels ok?" she asks to be sure.

He shakes his head almost drowsily and pats the ground on his good side, motioning for her to join him.

"You did a fine job with the bandage, think the bleedings slowed. That's good, but I won't feel ok tell I have you in my arms, honey."

Mary Anne stares at him as his words register. Warmth starts in her chest and spreads through her body. He's going to be alright, he has to be. They're going to make it. She scoots quickly to his other side and gingerly nestles into his shoulder with a sigh. He sucks in his breath and Mary Anne stiffens.

"Am I hurting you? Maybe I should-" she says as she pulls away slightly.

His arm tightens around her, till she stops her movement.

"This is the best I've felt all day, don't move a muscle," he says quietly as he relaxes his hold.

She squirms a bit, and turns in his arms until her face is close to his,

"Can I move if I want to kiss you?"she asks seriously. The vulnerability in her eyes almost takes Kid's breath away.

"That's a different story" he says, the moment before their lips meet.

Mary Anne melts into him as she kisses him tenderly. His lips taste of freedom, new beginnings, love. Her heart is almost too warm, heat spreads from her chest to the rest of her. Kid deepens the kiss, the dizzying pain and weariness are nothing compared to holding her, tasting her. She caresses his face, runs her hand through his hair, down his chest. He can feel the warmth of her skin through her clothes, feel the rise and fall of her chest as she breathes. He lets go of all the fear that has been consuming him and enjoys feeling consumed by her instead. He rubs his hand down her back as her lips travel to his cheek where he is bruised. She kisses him gently there, as if to make it all better, then down to his neck. He groans and holds her closer as she teases her fingers over his chest and lower still. Kid pants her name and pulls her face back to his with a sudden burst of strength, kissing her fiercely now. They are both breathless as she suddenly pulls away,

"I don't know what's gotten into me..." she mutters as she drops her eyes, "I think it's hitting me now. I'm so grateful we're alive, that we lived through all that, it just makes me want to... but you're hurt and you'll bleed and-"

"Let me bleed, I don't care," Kid almost growls with an intensity that startles her and she smiles.

"I guess you're feeling the same way, huh?" she says as she allows herself to be drawn back into his arms. She kisses him again before settling back down to rest on his shoulder. Kid takes a deep breath then kisses the top of her head,

"I s'pose you're right. We shouldn't... but Lord help me, Mary Anne, I don't feel the pain at all when you're kissing me."

Mary Anne finds his free hand and laces her fingers through his.

"I love you, Kid," she says quietly.

He squeezes her at the sound of those words and makes a little sound of pleasure from the back of his throat,

"I love you too, Mary Anne. Can I spend the rest of my life showing you how much?"

She raises her head to look at him. There is so much warmth and kindness and honesty in his gaze it brings tears to her eyes.

She cups his face with the palm of her hand,

"Yes," she answers simply.

"Good," he says, satisfied.

He is suddenly more tired than he's ever felt in his whole life. He settles back down on his makeshift pillow. She gets comfortable against his body and sighs in contentment. They're under a canopy of trees and stars, miles away from the nearest town, but she's never felt more at home. She runs his hand over his bandage one more time and is relieved that it is dry. They fall into a peaceful sleep minutes later.

* * *

Mary Anne is having a nightmare. Her whimpers wake Kid up. He opens his eyes slowly. It is morning. The sun is pushing its way over the eastern hills, casting golden light over the girl in his arms, clutching him tightly.

"Nooo," she begs, "please stop... please."

Kid's heart skips a beat as she starts to cry. He gently nudges her,

"Mary Anne, sweetie... wake up. You're safe. It's morning,"

She only furrows her brow, she is shaking in his arms now,

"Open your eyes... look at me," He says as he pushes himself up the base of the tree.

It hurts like hell, but he doesn't care. He pulls her with him, she is partially sitting now as her eyes flutter open. Mary Anne gasps, her nightmare clings to her and she tries to shake it away. Her eyes fall down to her dress. She has dull dried blood all over the blue fabric, and on her hands too. She tries to wipe it off of her even though she knows this doesn't make sense. She sits up and shifts so she can see Kid fully. The love and concern in his eyes is her undoing. She is gasping now, struggling to breathe before sobs pour out of her in earnest. Kid grabs her and pulls her into his lap. His heart physically aches as her tears fall hot against his chest. He waits until her sobs subside.

"Can you tell me now, what happened... with your uncle? How you escaped?" he asks gently as he offers up his sleeve at the sound of her sniffling.

She dries her eyes with the offered sleeve and grabs his hand with both of hers. His hand is bloody too. They are a fine pair. She keeps her eyes fixed on their joined hands and takes a deep shuddering breath.

"I saw the key around his neck. I knew it was your key. The way he was acting, I knew we had to escape and that I'd have to cut that key off his neck while he was sleeping to do it. He woke up... he tried to... to force me" Kid holds onto her tightly in reaction and she is quick to assure him, "he didn't though... I stabbed him in the chest before he could... and there was so much blood and he was so surprised before he died. I wanted to scream and scream when it happened, but I couldn't... we weren't safe yet. You weren't safe. Riley caught me in the hall, but he gave me a head start. I don't think he wanted to kill me in cold blood," she leans against Kid now and forces herself to relax. He moves his hand over her back in a circular motion. It soothes her further. She sighs as she absorbs his warmth.

"I've killed someone, Kid. I've killed my own kin."

Kid moves his other hand from her hands and tilts her face up to his. Her eyes are red and puffy from crying. There is a bruise on one cheek and a small cut on her lip. She drops her gaze under his inspection. She didn't think she had any tears left but a few more fall down into her lap.

"You know this is the first time I've really had a chance to look at you in full light?" Kid asks.

She winces,

"I must look a fright," she self consciously reaches up to smooth her hair away from her face.

Kid only shakes his head,

"You more beautiful to me now than ever, and I didn't even think that was possible," he smiles at her, she sees his grin out of the corner of her eye and feels herself blushing.

"Liar," she mutters but she smiles just a little bit.

"No I ain't," he insists, then his voice turns deadly serious, "it wasn't your fault. It wasn't your fault your kin was an evil man. Really, Mary Anne he was. I talked to him. There wasn't a decent bone in his body."

"Is he the one who beat you?" Mary Anne hates to ask, but she does anyway.

"Part of the time, part of the time he held my arms back so Beau could beat on me. Believe me, I would've killed him myself. I killed Beau and the other one... It's a human life and part of me feels sorry, but I don't regret it at the same time. It was either us or them. That's self defense. I'm proud of how strong you were. Angry that you had to face that. I wish I could've been the one to kill him so you wouldn't have to carry that burden... and I'm terrified that that is how close I came to losing you."

Mary Anne sits in silence for a while, absorbing what he's told her. There is still a tightness in the pit of her stomach, over what she had to do, she doubts it will go away anytime soon, but Kid's words ring true. She is quiet for so long, Kid wonders if she's fallen asleep, he continues to rub her back as he rests his head on the top of hers.

Finally she lets out a deep sigh,

"I don't want to think of how close I came to losing you either. A whole lifetime in front of us, over before we can even start."

Kid opens his mouth to agree with her but his breath hitches in his throat. His side feels cold, and the pain is back. He's started to bleed again from all the sudden movements. He realizes she's noticed the sudden tension in his body, but he'll be damned if he makes her worry over him again. He asks her a question to distract her instead.

"What do you want to do with that lifetime, Mary Anne?"

She thinks before answering,

"Before my Ma died, I was all set to be the school teacher in Granger. I always enjoyed school... but then Vincent didn't want me going into town anymore, so that was the end of that. It'd be nice to see if I couldn't get a teaching job in Sweetwater-"

"Old Miss Winslow is set to retire any day now," Kid interjects.

"Really?"

"Yeah, maybe we can talk to the town counsel when we get back."

"Oh that would be wonderful," she smiles brightly at him, before continuing, "and I'd like to build a life with you, Kid, have a home, work the land with you. Maybe even have children someday."

He kisses her gently on her forehead after hearing that,

"Sounds like heaven on earth to me," Kid says softly.

She kisses him back, then smiles playfully,

"and I'd like to see the ocean someday too, don't matter which one."

"Done. Maybe the Pacific? I've already seen the Atlantic back in Virginia, the Pacific is closer anyways."

She laughs in delight at his immediate willingness,

"The Pacific it is."

She's about to say more when she looks into Kid's face and realizes he's much paler than he was just minutes ago,

"Kid?"

He averts his gaze and then leans his head against the back of the tree,

"I'm alright, promise."

Mary Anne purses her lips together, her eyes immediately falling to his wounded side. She gasps,

"You're bleeding through! When did that start?"

He closes his eyes as his head swims.

"A little bit ago. Didn't want to worry you... we should get going," he makes move to get up, but is thwarted by the firm pressure of her hand on his shoulder.

She bites her lip and waits for him to look at her. Her previous feelings of safety are gone as fear creeps back in, twisting her stomach into knots.

"I don't know if it's safe to move you, but then we can't very well stay here, either," she says, her voice right on the edge.

Kid winces and curses the weakness of his own body,

"I can manage it. I've been shot up before, rode through worse-"

"After being locked up and beaten, with no food or water?"

He pauses, he is starting to shiver now,

"Yeah, that part is new... but you're right, we need to leave. Let me go take care of Katy and we'll head straight to Sweetwater, alright? We're not that far, we'll make it."

Mary Anne shakes her head at him. She grabs her burlap sack and pulls out her shawl, then lays it across his chest and tucks it under his shoulders.

"_I'll _get the horses ready, you stay here and rest."

He wrinkles his nose at her but makes no further attempt to get up.

"A shawl?" he says as he struggles to keep his eyes open, "I'd rather you warm me up."

"Me too," she can't help but smile, "but the shawl will have to do for now. Pretty soon we'll be home, and then maybe..." she trails off and blushes, dipping her head as she sees she has his full attention now.

"I'll hurry up with the horses."

He watches her hips sway as she walks towards the horses, and grins as he lets his imagination go. Maybe it's the blood loss, but just the sight of her makes him feel light headed.

He tries to stay awake and focuses on what he will tell her on the way home. He will tell her details about every single rider and Emma and Teaspoon too. He will tell her about Lou and say he's going to straighten a few things out as soon as they get home. Then he's going to do some arithmetic, figure out how long he needs to work before they'll have enough money to get married and buy their own homestead. They'll have all the time in the world together then... He feels a sharp stab of pain again and curses under his breath. All of that will have to wait until he is patched up first.

She looks to be almost ready so he pulls the shawl off his body and wraps it up to replace it in her bag. He peers in and notices her book. It's The Brother's Grimm. He almost laughs at the coincidence.

She walks up to him and notices his expression,

"What's so funny?"

He struggles to sit up, then pushes himself further until he is standing on shaky legs against the tree. All signs of mirth are gone from his face. He is ashen and she can see sweat forming on his brow. He points to the book, just visible under the shawl,

"We must like the same books. That was my favorite when I was little," he says through gritted teeth.

She frowns with concern and gathers up her things and his coat. The morning sun is a little warmer now and she's glad for it. She places his good arm over her shoulders and starts walking with him over to the horses. Her anxiety grows with every step as she realizes just how weak Kid has become and wonders how she'll get him up on his horse.

His head is spinning and he feels like he might lose the meager contents of his stomach, but swallows hard. The book has triggered his memory,

"Mary Anne, when we're out of this remind me to show you this book that Jed left me," he say so quietly she can barely hear him.

He's not making sense to her but she squeezes him tighter to her side,

"You can show me whatever you want when we get to Sweetwater, ok? Just... just stay with me Kid, for a little bit longer."

He doesn't answer. His weight is heavy against her. She feels her knees buckling under his weight and she cries out in alarm,

"Kid!"

His head barely perks up. She's losing him.

"Please, sweetie. I know you've got a little left in you. I _know _you do!"

She looks to the horizon, her eyes are swimming with tears. Then she blinks rapidly, she can just make out four riders coming towards them and she recognizes them from Kid's description. One of them is wearing a bowler, one looks at least part Indian, another has a shiny Colt strapped to his hip and the last is wearing a very welcome symbol. She almost smiles as the star on the man's chest glints in the sunshine.

"Oh thank God," she breathes.

* * *

**A/N: I don't have much to add, except for... Rescue! Hooray! **

**Next chapter will be a nice wrap up. Heh, heh. ;)**

**Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays! Reviews are the very best presents :D**


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

It is several days later and Mary Anne is folding linens in the living room of Emma Shannon's house. It is a warm summer day and the sun shines cheerily through the open front window. A gentle breeze causes the curtains to billow out and catches her eye. She peers out the window and watches a hand off between two of the riders. She doubts watching the speedy exchange will ever get old. Her eyes travel to Kid talking to Jimmy. Kid throws his head back and laughs at something Jimmy has said, and tries to shove him away but then has to stop himself. His body is still not one hundred percent. Jimmy is immediately contrite and they continue talking as they walk into the barn. A small smile plays on her lips as she watches them go.

"You sure do have a pretty smile, Mary Anne."

Mary Anne's smile broadens as Emma walks into the room from the kitchen,

"This place is putting that smile on my face, Emma. I've never felt so welcome anywhere, and Kid... well, I think he's going to heal up real quick. He wants to get back to work something fierce and being around this "family", is good for a body."

"You're sleeping better?" Emma asks as she picks up a linen and folds with Mary Anne.

"Yes. I didn't even have a nightmare last night," Mary Anne says quietly, "I slept better than I have in a long time, actually... I can't thank you enough for letting me stay with you. I know it's only been a few days, but I feel like I've found the big sister I always wanted when I was growing up."

Emma's whole face brightens,

"It does my heart glad to hear that, sweetie. Kid's one of my boys, and now that you're his intended, well, there's no place I'd rather you'd be, living under this roof of mine," Emma squeezes Mary Anne's hand for emphasis.

Mary Anne knows enough about Emma now to know she never says anything she doesn't mean. It leaves Mary Anne at a loss for words, trying to express how much everyone's acceptance has meant to her, so she just squeezes Emma's hand in return.

Emma gives Mary Anne a wink before continuing to fold,

"How have you been getting along with Louise?"

Mary Anne knows there is little that escapes Emma's notice so she answers honestly,

"Well, Kid talked to her straight away. I think she was more upset then, but I got a chance to be alone with her yesterday. That's quite a trick since Teaspoon still thinks she's a he. We had a good talk. I think she was more concerned that I wouldn't be good enough for him. I told her I wasn't sure if I was, but that I loved him and that I hoped we could be friends. I think that helped," Mary Anne says a little uncertainly.

"Louise is a protective sort. Those boys may drive her to her wit's end but she'd take on a whole army if she thought any of them were going to come to harm. I wouldn't worry overly much though. Having another young lady around her age will be good for her, and sides, unless my eyes deceive me, I see something sparking between her and Jimmy," then she adds with a conspiratorial air, "there's never a dull moment around here."

"I'm beginning to see that!" Mary Anne laughs.

Emma's joins in and it feels good to laugh and feel safe. There is only one nagging concern, Mary Anne frowns as she thinks of it,

"Has there been any word about Riley?"

Emma's smile fades at the mention of the man's name,

"Last I talked to Sam, no one has seen hide nor hair of him," Emma is quick to add after seeing Mary Anne pale slightly, "never you fear though, you have a whole mess of protectors now, and they're all pretty good shots, should he be foolish enough to come sniffing round here."

"I was relieved that Kid didn't shoot him dead like that other two. They deserved to die and hearing from Sam that Kid got em for sure, well, I wasn't sorry. Riley seemed a little better than the rest. I hope I'm right about that..." she trails off. She shakes the lingering fear off quickly and adds brightly, "the town counsel said I could start teaching as soon as I was able, so I told 'em I would start this coming Monday. I guess Miss Winslow was just waiting for someone to come along and take the job off her hands. I'm nervous, but so excited too. This is just another step in me and Kid's plans. Once we get some money saved, we can buy our own farm-"

"And get yourself hitched," Emma says with a smile, "I can't wait for that. I love weddings and you'll make a beautiful bride."

Mary Anne's eyes sparkle,

"maybe we can look at dress patterns together, Emma... I see how the Marshal looks at you."

Emma swats Mary Anne with a linen as a blush heats her cheeks.

"We'll need to do that anyways. I'm glad I'm close to your size, but a girl ought to have more than a few borrowed dresses when she starts school teaching... maybe a nice light green fabric to match your eyes... Kid would like that, I think."

Mary Anne is giddy at the idea and gives Emma a spontaneous hug. She doesn't notice right away that Kid has walked into the house.

"What will I like, Emma?" he asks.

He stands in the doorway. There is a book in his hands, he fingers it nervously as he stares openly at Mary Anne. A slow smile spreads across his face, the longer he looks at her. Emma sees much the same expression on Mary Anne and covers her amusement with a cough,

"A new dress for Mary Anne, Kid. In a nice springtime green. It will match her eyes, don't you think?"

It takes Kid a second to realize Emma has asked him a question,

"Hmm, oh yeah. She'd look pretty in anything though," he answers.

Mary Anne steps closer to him,

"How are you feeling?" she asks as she reaches for his hand.

"Better. You're good medicine." Kid steps closer to her still.

Mary Anne leans in to him and says softly,

"I've missed you,"

"I've missed you, too."

Emma hides her grin behind her hand,

"Didn't you too just see each other at lunch?" she can't help but tease.

Kid startles and looks to Emma apologetically,

"Sorry, Emma. I've seen her every day since we got back, but we ain't had much time to really talk and..."

Emma laughs out loud now,

"I can take a hint. I was planning on going into town anyways," she says as she grabs her bonnet and coin purse. She stops their embarrassed protests with a wave of her hand, "I'll be back later. You two behave now, ya hear?" she is out the door with a smile and a shake of her head a moment later.

Mary Anne watches her go, she is about to say something to Kid, maybe thanking him again for having the nicest group of folk to call family, when she feels his arms snake around hers. She turns and looks at him only to see his face is inches from hers.

"Hi," he says, pulling her closer.

"Hi," she answers, shyly.

"Guess what?" he asks as he kisses her on her forehead.

"What?" she says a little breathlessly.

"We're alone... looks like we could be for a while."

Mary Anne meets his eyes. He is gazing at her with such intensity that she wonders if this is what a rabbit feels like just before a wolf pounces.

He leans down, his mouth is hovering over hers, "what do you think we should do about that?" He brushes his lips against hers, and catches her sigh.

"I don't know... we're s'posed to behave," she says even as she kisses the edge of his mouth and moves to his jawline.

"We have been behaving, for days and days... I ain't done more than hold your hand and kiss your cheek. Except in my dreams, those have been nice," he says with a smile as he moves to kissing her neck.

She hums in pleasure as she runs her hands up and down his back,

"What have we been doing in your dreams?"

"More. Much more."

"Really?" she almost squeaks. She feels herself blushing as he holds her even closer.

"Yeah, really... I wake up reaching for you, and you're not there," he runs his hands up her sides, his fingers graze her breasts, sending tingles straight through her.

"I'm here now though, and umm, my bedroom upstairs has a lock on the door,"

Kid groans before kissing her full on the mouth, his tongue roams her mouth hungrily, and she returns the intensity. He breaks away suddenly,

"Let's go," he says grabbing her hand, and walking purposefully towards the stairs.

"Do you think we should?" she asks, even as she runs to keep up with him.

"If we don't, I may take you right here in the parlour. I've missed you, Mary Anne. I don't think I can stand much more of watching you at meal times, laughing with Teaspoon and such without feeling you in my arms. It's all I'm thinking about," by this time they're at the top of the stairs.

"Is that why Jimmy was teasing you out by the bunkhouse, just fore you came in here?" she asks with a half smile.

He winces,

"You saw that huh? Yeah, maybe. He might've told me to just go and make time with you, he said he was liable to shot me, otherwise. I was going to tell Emma I needed to see you alone so I could show you Jed's book, but I don't care about that so much anymore." he says as he tosses the book on the dresser in Mary Anne's room.

She giggles as she closes the distance between her and Kid,

"So if I let you 'hold me in your arms', I'll be saving your life?"

Kid nods emphatically,

"Again. Yes... I want to show you how thankful I am."

Mary Anne's heart is racing as she reaches out to touch his chest,

"What about your bruises, your wound. Doc Barnes may have said you're doing real well but he won't let you ride yet... what if-?"

He cuts her off,

"You can ride me instead," he says almost desperately. Her eyes fly to his in confusion.

"What?"

He is blushing now and he almost laughs at his own bluntness,

"If I lay down and you're... well..." he doesn't finish as he sees the exact moment she figures it out on her own.

"Oh... I didn't know..." the tingling feeling has spread now through her whole body, coming to rest in her lower abdomen, "I think I might like that... maybe if we're quick, then people won't notice we're missing, and..."

She loses her train of thought as she watches Kid stride over to her door, close it and lock it. She glances at the open curtain in the window and walks around the bed to the other side of the room to pull it shut. She moves back to him, averting her gaze to the floor, he meets her half way, at the foot of the bed.

"You're not ashamed, are you?" Kid asks suddenly, worried about what she may be thinking. He reaches for her hands and holds them loosely.

She laces her fingers through his,

"No... well, maybe I'm more ashamed that I'm not ashamed, does that make a lick of sense to you? I know we'll marry soon, but we ain't yet... the first time we thought we could die tomorrow, now we're doing this just cause-"

"Cause we love each other," he says quickly, "cause there's an empty feeling in the pit of our stomachs when we're apart, like something happened in our hearts the first time that made us two pieces of a whole, and maybe for you, you want to feel that again. I do too... and cause for me, I burn just to touch you, feel your skin against mine..." the words come out in a rush, every word heavy with the passion he feels.

Her eyes widen as she listens, her heart beats faster and her palms start to sweat. She drops his hands and steps into him, she is flush against him now. Her hands travel up his arms to his neck as he places his own around her waist.

"Yes," she breathes, "yes to all of that."

She tilts her head up just as he leans down and as soon as their lips meet it is as if the floodgates have opened. They kiss deeply, lips and tongues exploring. Kid's hands follow suit, running his hands down her back, cupping her bottom, pulling her in as close as possible... it isn't close enough. Mary Anne moans as she can feel his hardness against her stomach, she loses all shyness now. There are too many layers between them, she works her fingers on the buttons of his shirt.

Kid impatiently shrugs it off his shoulders and breaks contact with her mouth long enough to start undressing her,

"You're buttons, they're so small, I can't... I'm like to rip this thing off of you, sweetheart," he says in frustration.

Mary Anne lets out a shaky laugh,

"Let me," she undoes each button with fumbling fingers, distracted by what Kid is doing to her in the meantime.

He kisses her neck, then lower to her collar bone, while his own hands work to undo his belt and pants. He lets them fall to the floor and then lifts her skirts, running his hands under her petticoats, up her thighs. One hands rounds to her backside and squeezes while the other hand moves to the center of her. He feels her heat through the thin fabric, then moves his fingers a little. He is surprised to find he is now touching her wet skin through a slit in the fabric right between her legs. She gasps at the intimate touch.

"What? Why is that there?" He asks as he nibbles on her ear, almost panting.

Mary Anne's knees almost give way as he rhythmically moves his fingers against her, she knows he's asked a question, but her mind is too clouded to think of the answer right away,

"Bloomers are made that way so you don't have to undress to... to go to the outhouse...ohhhh," she ends with a moan as his touch drives her to the point she feels like she's going to fall apart right in his arms.

He replaces his hand with his hardness, pressing against the very heat of her.

"Every time I think of your underthings now, I'm going to imagine doing this," he says as the tip of his erection teases her entrance.

She grabs hold of his shoulders tightly, her nails biting into his flesh,

"I think we should move to the bed, before I fall over, Kid," she says through clenched teeth.

"Good idea," he chuckles, before kissing her firmly and letting her go.

Mary Anne undresses faster than she ever remembers while Kid kicks his boots off. He yanks his socks and pants off almost violently, ignoring the stitch of pain he feels in his side at the motion. His eyes turn hungrily to see Mary Anne in nothing but her skin and he is not disappointed.

"I don't think I've ever seen anything so beautiful in my entire life," he breaths as he walks over to her, leading her to the side of the bed.

He lets his gaze travel from the top of her head, her dark blonde hair falling to the middle of her back, to her features, her bright eyes clouded with passion, her pink cheeks, her mouth open slightly. He raises a hand to caress her face, down the side of her neck, over her her breast and down to the narrowing of her waist.

"I think you're beautiful too," she admits shyly as she does a similar inspection, "your arms are so strong," she says as she trails her fingers over his heated skin, "you chest too.. your legs, you're hard everywhere," she ends the exploration of her hands at his erection.

She smiles as she watches his reaction to her touch. His eyes roll back into his head, and he sucks in his breath. He grabs a bed post for support.

"That feels too good. You're killing me, Mary Anne," he groans.

She frowns and moves her hands from his hardness to his stomach. Her touch is so light he can barely feel it through his bandages.

"I hope not. I'm still worried about this... what if I hurt you?" she asks, eyes wide.

Kid opens his eyes and looks at her, his heart warms as he takes in her worried expression, the way she is holding her lower lip between her teeth.

"I think there's only one way to find out," he says lightly with a wink.

He gingerly sits down on the side of the bed and scoots over to the middle, before lying down,

"See? didn't hurt a bit," he says, only partially lying, "c'mere sweetie," he opens his arms slightly for her.

Mary Anne can't resist the hunger in his eyes, the desire to join her flesh with his. She climbs over to him and hesitantly puts one leg over both of his. She feels him between her legs. They both groan on contact, she moves restlessly against him,

"Kid, I'm not sure... how do I?" she asks as she continues to rub herself against him.

Kid grits his teeth and lifts her up roughly by her hips, then sets her down, he growls low as he slides inside her. She is so tight, hot, wet he almost loses control right there,

"Move, Mary Anne... ride me."

His words heat her blood and she obeys. She moves, he directs her hips, moving his hips to meet hers. She is a vision as her breasts bounce, her eyes closed, her lips moving as she groans out his name. The pace grows harder, faster. He pulls her down and kisses her roughly on the lips then moves his mouth to her breasts. She is desperate now, the tension is almost unbearable.

"Kid?" she asks, she's not sure what he's asking for.

Kid moves his hand between them and rubs her, as he continues to suck on her nipple. She is gasping now, quivering in his arms, her rhythm is erratic. He grinds himself into her, one hand holds her bottom tightly and finally her pleasure breaks free and overflows until she is tingling, floating, then falling as her muscles contract around him. He is too close, he embeds himself into her fully one last time before gripping her hips and pulling her up off of him. She feels his seed spill across her stomach as he grabs her close and holds her to his chest. His tremors gradually lessen and finally he lets out a deep sigh, almost a laugh. She tries to move off of him, but he grips her to him still,

"Are you alright, love?" she asks as she kisses the sweaty saltiness of his skin.

"I don't think I've ever felt better... I love you, Mary Anne Haney."

"No more than I love you, Ze-" she almost says his given name, but stops, "Kid."

He smiles as he moves her to his good side. She snuggles in close and they lay there, spent, a little giggly and very satisfied for a while.

"How long do you think we've been?" she asks finally.

"Long enough, I s'pose," he answers reluctantly.

They dress and straighten their clothes, exchanging kisses as they go. Kid smoothes Mary Anne's hair, and moves a stray strand behind her ear. She looks up to him with a worried expression,

"What is it?" he asks gently.

"Why did you-?" she can't finish the question without blushing.

Kid suddenly understands,

"Oh. I did that on account of making a baby. I didn't the first time, and I wish I had, just cause, I don't know if you're ready for that. Having babies," she still looks unsure so he continues, "if we made a baby that first time, I would be happy, we'd move the wedding up and things would work out just fine. I guess, I just want to be careful of your feelings. Lots of things have changed and I just want to make sure we start a family when it's right for us."

She frowns and stares at his chest, thinking it over,

"That makes sense. We can time things with my cycle too. My Momma taught me about how all that works."

He looks confused and she smiles,

"There's things women can do to not get pregnant too," she answers.

"You'll have to educate me, teacher," he grins.

Mary Anne makes a face at him, then turns, her eyes falling on the book Kid left on her dresser. She picks it up and turns it over in her hands,

"Is this the book you were telling me about? Jed's book?"

Kid nods,

"Yeah. I think I found something, but I wanted to wait until we were alone to look together. Sam is coming for dinner tonight, if there's anything in there about stolen money, I'll need to give it to him."

"All the pain you went through for some money," Mary Anne mutters as she sits down on the edge of the bed, "people have already died on account of what's in this book."

"Open it up to the last page, Mary Anne," he says quietly.

She sighs and flips the book open to the end,

"Looks like the last page of "The Tortoise and the Hare" is glued to the back cover," she says, her curiosity growing, "should I just try to pull it up?"

"You think you can without ripping it?" he asks, leaning in to get a better look.

"I think so," she says uncertainly.

She slowly pulls the page back, carefully moving her finger along the edge of the page as the glue gives way. Soon the page lifts. There is a folded piece of paper inside. She hands it to Kid with trembling fingers.

"You open it," she whispers.

Kid takes a deep breath and unfolds the paper, another smaller piece of paper falls in his lap as he looks at what is in his hands. His mouth drops open in surprise,

"This is a land deed... in California! How in blazes did Jed get his hands on this?"

He hands the deed over to Mary Anne then opens the second sheet of paper. Mary Anne looks to the deed just as puzzled as Kid, then watches with concern as he reads the second piece of paper. He gives her a watery smile and places the paper in her hands,

"Read it."

"Out loud?"

"Sure," he says as he runs a hand through his hair.

Mary Anne starts to read,

"Kid, if you're reading this, it means that this hare has lost the race. I won this deed in a poker game. It's for a gold mine in California. I'm not sure if I believe him, but the feller I won it off of said it was worth a lot. I figured after the coming war has run its course that I'd go out to see for myself. There's too much work to be done for The Cause to take the time to do it now though. If I do go out in a blaze of glory, I hope this book ends up in your hands, and this deed too. It was your book, and the tortoise always wins the race anyways. Your brother, Jed."

Mary Anne sets both papers aside carefully, she sits speechless with Kid for a minute before speaking,

"Maybe this was never about stolen money at all. Maybe my uncle knew about the gold mine. Hang The Cause, this was about getting rich!" her voice shakes with emotion.

She scoots closer to Kid and puts her arm around him,

"I'm so sorry you lost your brother, Kid,"

Kid pulls her towards him and kisses the top of her head,

"Everything happens for a reason. If it wasn't for this book, I wouldn't have you in my arms right now. I wouldn't change a thing."

Kid is so earnest that Mary Anne can't help but smile,

"Except for being chained up for two days in the dark... and getting shot, and losing all that blood and-"

"Well, yeah. I could've done without all that, but you were my Angel. It was worth it."

Mary Anne's eyes well up with tears and she kisses him tenderly. They sit in comfortable silence. Mary Anne picks up the deed and reads over it again,

"Someday, and I'm not saying tomorrow or next month or even next year, but someday it might be nice to-"

"Go and see the Pacific Ocean?" he finishes as he grins.

"Well yes, and California is by that ocean. I read that somewhere I think," she adds with a twinkle in her eye.

"I've read that too.. isn't that interesting?" he puts the papers back into the book and snaps it shut.

"Very interesting," she agrees.

Kid stands and opens a drawer in Mary Anne's dresser, places the book inside and closes the drawer firmly. He hears his name being bellowed from the yard outside. It sounds like Teaspoon.

"I guess it's time to go pretend like we were in the kitchen baking or something," Kid says as he gives her one last kiss.

She laughs,

"'Baking'... no one is going to believe that for a second."

"Ah, it doesn't matter. Come on, we'll go out there together,"

She nods and follows him out the opened door, she reaches out and holds his hand as they walk down the stairs.

"Yep, together. You and me, always."

They walk out into the yard to join the others. The book is out of sight, but it is not out of mind.

* * *

**A/N: The END! **

**This is the first multi-chapter story I have ever finished, so that's kinda exciting :D **

**I intentionally left a few plot points dangling in case I the Muse ever insists I come back to these two. I do like the idea of Kid and Mary Anne off having adventures in California and Riley... out there, somewhere. But we'll see. The plate is overflowing right now.**

**I'm proud of this. It may be kind of an odd fit in the TYR universe but I accomplished those three goals I set out for myself: present tense, smut, action. I guess it's up to you guys to decide how successful I was with all of that, but for me, I'm happy. **

**Please let me know what you think! Thank you and Happy New Year :)**


End file.
